A Final Chance
by 11JJ11
Summary: After a warning from Malva, Alain finds himself on the run, framed for murder he didn't commit. But if that wasn't hard enough, he has learned that Mairin is the killer's next target. While kidnapping his best friend wasn't on his to do list, he finds he has little choice with Mairin's life at risk, whether she thinks he's a murderer or not. [Platonic Alain and Mairin.]
1. Chapter 1 - A Warning

**Alain - 18  
** **Mairin - 14**

 **This story will take place about four years after the events of XYZ.**

 **This story will be focusing on Alain and Mairin's friendship.**

 **This story can also be read on my Wattpad account, under the same title and username.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One - A Warning**

Alain sat quietly in the shade of a forest, atop of a large boulder. His loyal Charizard sat next to him, watching her trainer with a pair of silver eyes. A small stream wound its way through the forest, the small current rushing in front of the duo. Alain let out a long sigh, looking out across at the small group of boulders that lined the river. It had been a long time since he had been here- nearly four years in fact. He had been sitting on top this same boulder that day, the day he had met Mairin.

So much had changed since that day. He had been working for Lysandre back then, he had believed that Team Flare had been working towards a greater future. He had even thought Mairin was annoying then. He rolled his eyes a bit, Mairin _was_ annoying, but still one of the few people he truly cared for.

"Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it?" A dry voice asked from behind Alain. Charizard's eyes narrowed, and growl rumbling up from the back of her throat, turning into a low snarl. Alain jumped, turning around, finding himself face-to-face with a pink haired women.

"Malva?!" Alain cried, quickly rising to his feet. He had not seen the former Elite Four member in years, she had turned herself into the police after turning against Team Flare, helping defeat the corrupt organization. But unlike Alain, she had full knowledge at the time of what Lysandre was trying to attempt. She now was standing behind him, twirling a Pokeball between two fingers, "What are you-!?"

"I got released early," Malva said, interrupting him, "Turning against Team Flare helped lower my jail time. Besides... I met some people..." She sighed, "Let's just say I met a few people in the crime business that helped me get out."

"Team Flare?" Alain growled, and his Charizard let out another snarl.

She rolled her eyes, "Relax, will you? You know that I'm against Team Flare now. Xerosic was the one that tried to bring it back, not me. I'm actually here to help you, believe it or not."

Alain clenched his fists, "Yet you claim that you're with some other organization or something? After what happened with Team Flare I'm no so eager to trust groups like that."

"Really? I helped you take down Team Flare, I am no more associated with them than you are," She chuckled at the glare he gave her, "I'm now working with a Kanto-native group... I believe you've probably heard of them. Team Rocket?"

"...I have. I see you're going for an organization that doesn't fall so easily," Alain quivered, "Are they the ones that got you out of jail? Why are even telling me this?" He didn't have any hard feelings against Malva, but the fact that she was telling him that she was working for another corrupt organization made his stomach twist, Team Flare had been enough for one lifetime.

She smirked, "Yes, they are the ones got me out. And why am I telling you this? Because I have some information regarding you and that little girlfriend of yours that likes to follow you around. I simply want to explain how I got this information. Of course I'm just not about to hand it to you..."

"...You know something about Mairin...?" Alain whispered.

"I see that really caught your attention!" Malva laughed, "Yes, I do. Information that I know you'll want to hear. I see your little girlfriend is still your top priority."

"...She's not my girlfriend. She's fourteen," Alain turned away, "Besides, I haven't seen her in a while..."

"And you won't be seeing her again unless you listen to me," Malva replied.

"Is that a threat?!" Alain cried, wheeling around.

"No, it's a challenge," She held out the Pokeball in her hand, "Prove to me once more that you're still a strong trainer. My Houndoom against your... Let's say Weavile. If you win I'll tell you everything I know, if you lose... Then I get to sit back and watch your whole life fall apart."

"...Why should I believe you?" Alain asked quietly.

"Hmm... Good question, I guess I didn't think of that. I just thought you should have an opportunity to learn of this, to be fair. I mean, you did defeat me once, and I have to hold you in respect because of that," She watched him, "Besides, what do you have to lose? You win, and I tell you the information. If I'm lying about it, then I'm lying and you move on. If I'm not lying then you have very valuable information."

Alain glanced at his Charizard, whose lips were pulled back, baring her fangs at Malva. She clearly didn't trust the former Elite Four member, but Alain realized that she was in the same boat as him. They had both once helped Team Flare, and had turned against it. The only difference was that Alain was no longer associated with them in anyway, but people still placed that label on her. Perhaps that's why she had drifted into another crime ring, because that was the only place that seemed to accept her.

...Malva was right. He had nothing to lose. Alain sighed, reaching into his pocket for his Weavile's Pokeball. Malva smirked, and Charizard stared at him disapprovingly. Alain expanded the Pokeball, "Very well, I accept your terms, but let me make one thing clear," He glared at her, "If you are lying I'm going to make sure you go straight back to your rotting jail cell if it's the last thing I do."

She laughed, "You're cute," She opened up a Pokeball, releasing her powerful Houndoom, "I'm afraid that I'm out of the mega business after the 'Team Flare incident', they may have given me back my Pokemon, but not my megastone and keystone. Don't underestimate my Houndoom though, he's still no pushover."

"That's why you didn't want me to use Charizard," Alain muttered, releasing his Weavile. He too had lost the ability to mega evolve after what happened with Team Flare, but that had been through his own choice. He had wanted to achieve mega evolution without Lysandre's or Team Flare's help, and had found a new mega and key stone on his own. His Weavile took up a battling position as she came out of the Pokeball, claws gleaming, "But it doesn't matter who I use, I will not lose to anyone that had anything to do with Team Flare."

"Still bitter about the 'being used' thing?" She asked, almost mockingly, but she didn't seem sullen, "Houndoom, Flamethrower!"

Her Houndoom lowered himself into a charging position, flames pouring from its mouth. It sprang into the air, releasing a Flamethrower down at Weavile. Even without its mega evolution, the Houndoom was still very powerful.

"Protect," Alain ordered, and a gleaming blue barrier appeared in front of the ice type, blocking the rushing flames, "Now Night Slash," He said as the fire died down, and the Weavile darted forward, her claws draped in a dark energy. Charizard stamped her feet unhappily, clearly wanting to be in the battle herself. Weavile's claws raked across the Houndoom's face, making the fire hound yelp. It may have been a strong Pokemon, but it had clearly been a long time since it had seen a battle.

"Crunch," Malva said, ignoring her Pokemon's pain. His jaws opened, teeth draped in a dark aura, and snapped at Weavile, who darted back. The Houndoom kept pursuing her, trying to land a hit on the speedy Pokemon, who was gracefully dodging every hit.

"Keep falling back," Alain muttered, and Weavile continued towards the river, using the surrounding boulders to her advantage. The Houndoom chased her until she was stepping back into the river, "Night Slash!" Alain cried, and his Pokemon slashed with her glowing claws, not at the Houndoom, but rather at the water. The spray of water was sent flying up, soaking the Houndoom, who yelped, halting mid attack as he was suddenly drenched, "Now Ice Beam it while it's wet!"

Weavile jumped up, forming a blast of freezing energy in front of her mouth, "Flamethrower," Malva said, and the Houndoom snapped his head up, flames pouring from his mouth right at Weavile. The Flamethrower hit its mark, striking the Weavile before it had realized that the Houndoom had recovered, "Now Iron Tail!" Malva cried, smirking. The Houndoom swung its whole form around, tail turning to gleaming metal, hitting Alain's Weavile in the chest. The dark type let out a cry, falling roughly to the ground on the other side of the river.

Malva smirked as Alain cried, "Weavile!" The Weavile stumbled to it's feet, groaning in pain.

"I'm impressed that it's still standing after two super effective hits. If this was your Charizard, I would be expecting a longer battle..." She shook her head, "I'm almost disappointed that it's over, but oh well. Houndoom, finish it with Flamethrower!"

The Houndoom opened his jaws, bathing the weakened Weavile with a burst of powerful flames. Alain only smirked though, "Weavile, use Revenge," He ordered quietly as the flames died down. Malva's eyes widened in surprise as she realized that Weavile wasn't down, and as she saw the orange glow around the dark type.

The worn Weavile sped forward with startling speed, the water not slowing her down. She slammed into the startled Houndoom with the super effective Revenge attack, which was now at double power since she had just taken a hit. The glow around Weavile brightened as she struck the Houndoom, releasing all the energy from the attack at once. The Houndoom was sent flying across the rocky field, slamming into a boulder.

"Get up Houndoom!" Malva cried, but the Houndoom was fainted from the final blow. She gritted her teeth, recalling the Pokemon back to a Pokeball. She turned back to face Alain, who was next to his Pokemon, stroking his stumbling Weavile. He recalled his Weavile back to her Pokeball, slipping it away into his pocket. Alain pushed himself up from a kneeling position, glaring at Malva. His Charizard wore the same expression as him, snarling.

"You may have been an Elite Four member," He said quietly, "But I have been battling along side with my Pokemon for the last few years, while you've been in jail. You've lost your connection with your Pokemon, I doubt you could mega evolve your Houndoom even if you did have the proper stones. As someone who was once considered a powerful trainer, it was foolish of you to think you could win, even with a type advantage," He glared down at her, "Now, you're going to tell me this 'important' information, and how you knew where I was. I've been training and on the move for the last few months, so how did you know where to find me?"

"No wonder why you haven't seen your little girlfriend lately," Malva muttered, "If you've been jumping from place to place, almost like you're trying to avoid someone," Alain flinched as she laughed, "I saw that you entered a tournament a few cities over not that long ago, and I just been jumping around to different Pokemon Centers seeing if the nurses there had seen anyone fitting your description. As soon as I got a match I simply scanned the local areas looking for you, and eventually I ended up here."

"Fair enough," Alain said after a moment, crossing his arms, "Now what's this 'big secret' that you want to tell me?"

"Well..." Malva began, "If you've been avoiding everyone lately, I'm guessing you don't know what's been happening to Ash?"

Alain's heart skipped a beat nervously, "What about Ash?" Why would Malva be mentioning him?

She pulled out a Holo Caster, "Well, it wasn't front page news here in Kalos, but a multi-regional murder spree does make the news everywhere," She pulled up an article, holding up the Holo Caster for Alain to see. There was Ash's picture, in the top right corner, but what he saw wasn't the cheerful boy he had met here in Kalos. The boy's eyes were dull, his face sunken. He stared at the camera, gaze empty. Seeing someone he admired in such a state made his heart ache, but it was the title of the article that sent chills down Alain's back.

Ash was being tried for three murders.

Alain's eyes were wide, mouth quivering as he struggled to find words. His eyes slowly met with Malva's, who looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh at his expression, "I-impossible..." Alain whispered, "Ash wouldn't- Ash _couldn't-_ "

"You're right," Malva said simply, "He didn't do it, he was framed," These words sent horror and relief through Alain- relieved that his friend wasn't what this article claimed- but horror that someone had dared to frame his friend.

"Who-"

"Who framed him? That would be Team Rocket, of course. They're going on a little... 'purifying spree', cleaning up anyone that could possibly be a threat. Like with Team Flare, Ash has had his hand in stopping Team Rocket many times," She paused, "Unfortunately for him he has only stopped them, not taken them out like he did with our old Team Flare. If you don't clean up messes you make with your enemies they'll came back for vengeance."

"'Purifying'..." Alain whispered, shivering as he remembered Lysandre, a top of the Lumiose Tower, 'purifying' the world. It had been so long ago, but it was still fresh in his mind.

"But that's not what I wanted to tell you," Malva said, hand on her hip, "I came to give you a warning: You're next."

Alain stared at her, "W-wha..."

She sighed, "Do I have to spell it out for you? You're next. Team Rocket considers you a threat, they're going to be targeting you soon. I saw your name- well, technically I wasn't suppose to see that information- but I couldn't help but read it when I saw your name. When I saw what this new team was planning... Well, I felt you deserved a chance, so I came to warn you. I respect you kid."

He didn't speak for a moment, "...Why would Team Rocket be after me?" He asked quietly, he had never had any association with the Kanto group.

"They're going after threats," Malva replied, "I'm sure they know how you took out Team Flare, and they know you would never join them since you took out a criminal organization that you were once a part of. I'm also sure that your connection with Ash didn't help," She sighed, "So far they've been killing off people they see as threats, and pass it off as accidents or suicide. But if that doesn't work and it shows up as murder, then they shift the blame to someone else, someone else they view as a threat, someone that they'd like to be locked away."

Alain took this in, "...That's what happened to Ash then? They wanted him out of the way... so they blamed their murders on him?"

Malva nodded, "Correct. They are going to be doing the same with you, you're going to be framed, arrested, tried, and convicted. The trials are rigged too, they make sure you don't get any chance of freedom."

Alain bit his lip, trying to think. Horror was rushing through him, but he still wasn't sure if he could trust Malva or not. Even though it had been years ago, the bitterness of Team Flare's betrayal still stung him. Embarrassment for how he had been used, used to nearly destroy the world. Due to him millions of people could have died.

Perhaps he did deserve to be tried for murder.

"...You said Mairin was involved..." Alain muttered, he look up at her, fear in his eyes, "If this is true... If all this is going to happen..." He shivered, "Then where does she fit in?"

"You're going to be framed for two murders," Malva said, "The first is some random person I don't really care about, some guy here is Kalos that Team Rocket wants out of the way, and you're going to take the blame. The second murder you're going to be blamed for is Mairin's."

Even if he didn't fully trust Malva, this piece of information hit him like a train. He stood there, unmoving for a minute as he processed this new detail, hands shaking. His Charizard was silent, fear outlined on her face. Even Malva didn't dare laugh, staying quiet as Alain took this in.

"W-why..." He whispered, then his tone hardened as he regained control of himself, "Why would they target M-mairin," His voice shook again, "She hasn't done a-anying to Team Rocket... or done to be a threat, s-she's only fourteen..." He closed his eyes, "Why should I believe you?"

"They will target her because of you," Malva replied, "They will set up the first murder and somehow connect it to you, I don't know the fine details. They will then use Marin's death to 'prove' that you are truly a killer, so you'll be arrested. I'm sure it's also to get to you somehow. Rocket is cruel in that way," She grinned, "And I love it."

Alain was staring at the ground, trembling, "...I don't want to believe..." He whispered, trailing off.

"Of course you don't," Malva said, "And you don't have to if you don't want to. But like I said earlier, you have nothing to lose. That man will be killed first, and then Mairin will be next. Team Rocket has influence over the law, and the police will come to arrest you," She looked him in the eye, "You are not weak Alain. Unlike everyone else that Team Rocket is after, you have a warning. Get prepared, and be ready for a fight, and you could probably even run for it. Yes, you'd be hunted down, but better than sitting in jail. Trust me, I know from experience. You could even try to save the girl."

"...Why aren't you warning anyone else?" He asked quietly, "If innocent people are dying."

"Alain, do I look like a hero? I willing helped the person that wanted to destroy the whole world. I honestly don't care what happens to most of these people. But I don't think you should die, you honestly haven't done anything to Team Rocket to deserve it," She tossed him her Holo Caster, and he fumbled for it, "Here, hang onto this for now. Give it a week or so, and that man will be dead. You'll become a suspect soon after, they're going to set everything up. That's when you need to run. I'll contact you on that Holo Caster before they go after the girl. After that get rid of the Holo Caster, and don't trust me from there on out. Good luck Alain."

With that Malva opened up another Pokeball, releasing a Talonflame. Alain stared at her as he watched the former Elite Four member fly away, leaving him with alone with this new information, and a choice.

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 **Well, here's the first chapter of _A Final Chance_ , I've had this story idea in my mind for awhile now, and I hope you've guys enjoyed it!**

 **Please note that any reference to Ash is referring to my other fanfiction, _The Final Battle,_ which is about Ash. These stories take place in the same timeline and may reference each other- but each will stand on its own as a story. This story will only be focusing on Alain and Mairin.**

 **I already have a several chapters written out for this story already, so you can expect updates once a week for now.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Runaway

**Chapter Two - Runaway**

Mairin didn't know what to think now days.

It had been four years since she had started off on her journey with Chespie, her creatively nicknamed Chespin. Though it had taken her a few years to realize how... childish her nicknames for her Pokemon were, she didn't have the heart to change them. Chespie would always be Chespie, and her Flabébé would be Bébé to her.

She hadn't done much traveling since Team Flare... Chespie being in a coma then being absorbed into the machine... the turning of Team Flare, and the near-destruction of the world she had witnessed first hand... It had overwhelmed her young mind. Once she got her Chespie back she had traveled with Alain for a bit, who had been working for the professor. But traveling about had only brought back memories of Team Flare, she had decided to return home for a few months to recover. Months had turned into a year, and a year into four. She just didn't have the heart to go out. During these few years she had become distant from many of her old friends. She hadn't battled, and she hadn't caught any new Pokemon.

Alain had taken a break from working with the professor about a year ago, to get back into his training. He was really her only close friend, and he had called her every time he stopped at a Pokemon Center, but she still felt like she was drifting away from her idol. Soon his calls had become less and less, and she hadn't heard from Alain in several months now. Usually she wouldn't be worried, since he did that sometimes, go a little while with no contact. But this time around she was worried.

She remembered the sickening feeling in her heart the first time she had seen Alain's face in the news. At first she had been afraid that an accident or something had happened to him, but that was gone as she had watched the full broadcast.

A man called Dexio, a retired assistant of Professor Sycamore, had been found dead in his own home. The news reporter hadn't given too many details, but somehow the police had tied the murder back to Alain, and he had quickly become a main suspect in the case. Mairin had tried to calm herself, telling herself that it was just a mistake that the police had made. They'd talk with Alain, and everything would be worked out...

But Alain's apartment had been empty.

He had only lived in the place for a few months, ever since he had turned eighteen. When the police had gone to question him, they could tell that no one had been there for nearly a week. Normally this could be seen as normal for an active traveler, but neighbors had reported that he had been there not long ago and had seemed on edge. Security footage at a local shop had revealed that he had been purchasing supplies as if he'd be going on a long journey, and in attempts to talk to people he knew to locate him, everyone had claimed that they haven't had contact with him in months. Alain was nowhere to be found- he had ran away.

So if he wasn't guilty, then why had he ran? Why did it seem like he knew when the police would come? Why had he chosen to get a head start? These thoughts made Mairin the sickest- was Alain truly a killer?

Mairin hadn't even watched the reports about Ash Ketchum's case, the idea that two people she had looked up to, that she had felt inspired from, were possibly killers... It felt like someone was tearing her heart out. Though it was nearly impossible, she simply tried to distract herself.

" _You need to get out and about more!"_ Bonnie had told Mairin. The young girl had only been a trainer for about a year now, and she treated everyday as if it were her first time out exploring. Bonnie already traveled around Kalos a lot, giving her plenty of time to tell Mairin of all the adventures she had gone on. Mairin had eventually decided to take Bonnie's advice, and start off on a Pokemon journey once more.

And that's where Mairin was now, heading down the route that was connected to her hometown. Chespie and Bébé were currently in their Pokeballs, since she wasn't in the mood to carry her Chespin around on her shoulder- at least not until she got use to the heavy backpack that came with traveling. She took a deep breath of the outdoor air, sighing. Yes, she had a lot of her mind. Especially Alain, was her friend a k-killer...?

Mairin quickly shook the thought out of her head. She was going to be focusing on her journey, and nothing else. Perhaps she'd try out a gym battle or something. She wasn't going to try Pokemon Showcases, she knew she was too clumsy for that. Maybe she could go to Hoenn and try Pokemon Contests...? All that really required of a trainer was to be dressed up and not perform, right...?

Whatever she was going to do, Mairin knew she had to get moving. If she had been stuck at home for one more minute she was sure she'd have lost her mind.

* * *

"Fez!"

Alain looked up as his Unfezant came swooping down. The large bird landed in the tree that Alain was standing below, giving several low coos before flying off again. Alain knew what it meant- it was safe for him to move again.

As much as Alain didn't want to listen or believe Malva's warning, some part of him did, or perhaps was simply too afraid to take any risks. He had returned home for the first time in months that night, flying on Charizard, and had immediately began packing anything valuable from his small apartment. One part of him had told him that he was overreacting, but that hadn't stopped him from purchasing a vast amount of supplies and survival gear. It wasn't like it'd be waste either if Malva really was lying, it was all stuff he'd eventually use while traveling, he was just buying it in bulk.

When all of his gear and supplies had been packed, and when he finally was able to sit down and think, that's when he realized the true weight of what Malva had told him. Someone was going to _die._ Mairin could _die._ Three people had _died_ simply to get Ash locked away. And if he didn't do something he was going to get locked up as well. Locked up, and alone. Who would want to visit a murderer in prison? Alain had no family. He most certainly didn't expect Mairin to be allowed anywhere near him. And his Pokemon... They probably would never see them again if he was locked away.

What Malva had told him was tormenting him, and it wasn't like he could tell anyone. If Team Rocket really had as much influence as Malva claimed, then there was no way on his own he could get them all locked up. If he told anyone that he knew that someone was going to die, they would want to know how, and why would they believe him? And the league knew that he had been helping Team Flare... He had been pardoned since he hadn't known what they were truly doing (it was thanks to Steven that he hadn't been arrested). And if they now knew that he had been talking to old Flare members... Even one that had turned against Lysandre...

And if Malva was lying, and the murders turned out to be fake... That wouldn't go over well if he reported it. Besides, he hadn't even known who Team Rocket would be going after. But he did now.

Dexio, he had only met the man on a few occasions. He was the one credited for dividing up the Kalos Pokedex into three separate ranges, allowing for even more data to be stored in them, and making it easier to study the Pokemon with it. He had moved to Kanto a while back, trying to study how Kanto native Pokemon had ended up migrating all the way to Kalos. He had eventually moved back to Kalos. From what Alain had found, Dexio had a hand in stopping a small part of Team Rocket that was trying to steal his research data a few years earlier, but other than that Alain had no idea why Team Rocket had gone after Dexio... Perhaps Team Rocket didn't give need another reason. That feeling made him sick.

Alain slowly made his way through the forest, sticking near the main road, but not quite on it. His life on the run had been... pretty uneventful so far. He was use to being alone and traveling about, and the police had no lead on his current location since he had fled a week before they had branded him a suspect. He knew that running wouldn't help his case in looking innocent, but according to Malva it wouldn't matter, Team Rocket would get him behind bars no matter what. She had told him that he was lucky that they just hadn't decided to kill him, it gave him a chance to flee. Police assumed that he was out of region right now, which made things a bit easier for him as he moved about Kalos. He was planning to flee to a different region soon, but right now he had something much more important to take care of:

Mairin.

Alain's hands shook, he didn't doubt Malva now. Everything that she had promised had come true so far. There was only one more thing that was going to happen- Mairin was going to be killed.

He couldn't let that happen.

He stared at the Holo Caster Malva had given him. She had sent a few messages to him using it, like if there was a search team in a certain area trying to find him, or places with heavy Rocket influence to avoid. Alain had been surprised with how much influence Rocket had in Kalos- he had thought Team Rocket was a Kanto and Johto organization, but he had been proven wrong. Malva continually reminded him to get rid of the Holo Caster as soon as he rescued Mairin, she claimed she wouldn't be trustworthy past that point. Malva had sent him one more message- tonight was the night Mairin would be targeted. He had to move now- or never.

The problem was he wasn't sure what he should do to protect the young girl.

Yes, he was a powerful trainer... But even if he chased off Team Rocket from Mairin once, they could just come back. He could keep fighting them, but that would alert everyone of his location. The police would be after him the moment he revealed himself, then Mairin would be left open for an attack. The only way Mairin would be safe was if she was with him at all times, but that would mean...

Mairin would have to come with him, join him on the run.

The reason why he was hesitating wasn't because he didn't want to be around her or anything- she was like a little sister to him- he loved her company. He would do anything to protect her, but what was holding him back was that he was sure that he had been in the news, and he knew that Mairin had probably seen everything he was accused of. She had every reason to be scared of him, so if he was going to be bring her along, it would probably have to be by force...

He didn't want to kidnap his best friend.

Alain took a deep breath, but he most certainly didn't want her to die either. He couldn't hesitate any longer, he had to move now if he was going to protect Mairin. Team Rocket was going to kill her tonight, he needed to go now. Alain didn't realize he was blinking back a few tears as he progressed through the woods, knowing that Mairin would be on the route ahead... Unfezant had spotted her earlier today.

Maybe there was some chance that Mairin still trusted him...?

Alain gulped, he could only hope. But it didn't matter what Mairin thought of him right now, she had to come with him. He was the only one that could protect her at the moment. His mouth was dry, this action would truly make him a criminal... But he pushed that thought out of his mind. Mairin was in danger right now, and he was the only one that could do something. He looked up at the sky through the trees, but saw no sign of Unfezant, but he should be safe for now.

* * *

Mairin frowned at her map, she had been hoping to reach the Pokemon Center tonight, but it didn't look like she would. The map had claimed that a trainer could reach it in less than a day, but apparently she was that out of shape. She looked down at her sore legs, sighing, perhaps she should have exercised more the last few years. Her body just wasn't use to the feel of traveling after her break, and now it was screaming at her in pain. Mairin looked up at the sky, where she could see an Unfezant circling, then flying off. Perhaps she should let Chespie out... No. She'd let her Pokemon out tonight when she set up camp. There was probably an hour or two left until sundown, she could keep going a bit farther. Who knew, maybe she'd get lucky and would reach the next town!

She stuffed the map back into her backpack. The route was pretty empty, but by no means was it abandoned. It was well kept and lead straight into town. She just hadn't crossed paths with anyone yet, but as she got closer and closer to the next town she was sure there'd be more people around soon.

"Fezant!" A loud voice cawed, and suddenly a male Unfezant dove down, landing right in front of her. The wattle around his face was a deep red, and the feathers on his belly a bright green. Though not Kalos native, Mairin wouldn't be surprised in the Unfezant had migrated down into Kalos from the northern Unova region to avoid the cold. The Unfezant was watching her, and couldn't shake off the feeling that she knew this Unfezant. She wondered if it wanted something.

"...Are you hungry, little guy?" She asked, and the Unfezant whipped its head back and forth. Mairin frowned, "Do you need something? Do you have a trainer?"

"...He's mine..." A cold voice said from behind Mairin, and she jumped in surprise. She knew that voice: it was the sweet voice that had managed to lift her spirits, it was the loud voice that cried to her in warning, it was also the harsh voice that had hurt her many times, and it was the gentle voice that had _always_ apologized to her.

Mairin turned, finding Alain standing about ten feet behind her, hands stuffed into his pockets. For someone that had been on the run for nearly two weeks, he seemed to be in fairly good condition. His blue eyes stared at her for a moment, before flickering down to his feet. His Unfezant let out a cry, flying up and landing on Alain's shoulder, then took to the air, flying off above the forest that lined the route.

"A-alain?!" Mairin cried, fear and surprise racing through her. A part of her was excited to see her old friend, but her fear quickly crushed that out, and she took a step back, "W-what are you d-doing here?"

Alain's eyes darted about, "I- I need to talk to you," He said quickly, glancing around, but they were alone. With no one else in sight his gaze resettled on her, eyes colder than she had ever seen them, calculating. Mairin's heart raced, not sure of what to do.

"A-about what?" Mairin asked quietly, taking another step back. What did he want? Did he want her to shelter him from the police or something? Or...

Alain hesitated, not responding. He held Mairin's gaze though, not looking away. Finally he said, "You're in danger," And Mairin blinked, not sure what he meant. In general, or... or was that a warning to her, that he was dangerous to be around...? Fear crawled up her throat again, and she took another step back, hand reaching for a Pokeball. What good would that do her though? Alain's weakest Pokemon could take out both of hers with probably one hit, and she was sure he had been training since the last time she had seen him.

Alain winced as he watched her step back. He held up both of his hands, as if surrendering, taking a step towards her, "S-stop!" Mairin cried, and he did, for a second, then took another step forward. She realized that she was powerless against him; his Pokemon were stronger, he was stronger, and he was faster than her.

"Mairin, please hear me out," Alain said quietly, "I know you have every reason to fear me, but I'm not going to hurt you. You can't stay here, you're in danger, Mairin, you need to get moving," He hesitated once more, "I... I just need you to come with me... okay?" He muttered weakly.

Mairin's heart raced against her chest as Alain said these words, fear tearing at her mind. Her mouth quivered, but she didn't reply. She _couldn't_ reply. Her amber eyes were wide, and she stumbled back some more. Alain looked miserable as he watched her reactions, but that didn't stop him from approaching her. A million thoughts were racing through her panicked mind, mouth flapping open like a Magikarp as she tried to speak.

She managed to find her voice when Alain was only a few steps away from her, "No!" She cried, the word hurt as it escaped her throat, as if it had claws that had dug into her as she forced it out of her. Her whole body was shaking, tears pooling in her eyes, "N-no, please-" She stuttered out, "Leave me alone, stay away from me!" The pleas poured out of her mouth, slurring together in desperate mutterings. Alain hesitated, gaze softening for a moment, before he closed his eyes, then his gaze went hard again.

"I'm sorry Mairin," He spoke in a comforting tone, yet it only seemed mocking to a fearful Mairin, "But you don't get a choice. You're coming with me."

Mairin shook harder, what did he want with her? What was he going to do...? With these panicked thoughts racing through her mind she turned and ran, feet flying down the path, hoping that by some miracle she could outpace him. Alain watched her for a moment, blinking rapidly, then sprinted after her.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Criminal

**Chapter Three - The Criminal**

Guilt clawed at Alain's heart as he watched Mairin run. He didn't want to do this to her... He hated seeing the terror in her eyes, the fear on her face. This was his little Mairin, his sweet, naive Mairin. He couldn't stand doing this to her, but he had to. Team Rocket would get her if he didn't. He felt moisture stinging his eyes, which he blinked away, then ran after Mairin.

She was a ways ahead of him, but he caught up to the fumbling Mairin with no problem. He hated how vulnerable she was, if he wasn't here someone could hurt her so easily... Of course, in her mind right now, he was the dangerous one, "Mairin, stop!" Alain called, knowing that he'd have to take her with him by force, but still some part of him hoped that Mairin would listen and come with him.

Mairin shook her head in panic, still running, and her clumsy self betrayed her. Her foot got caught on a loose rock, and she stumbled. She began to fall forward, but Alain had caught up and he reached out, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her up from her fall before she hit the ground. She was still facing away from him, and they stood like that for a moment, neither of them speaking, only frightened hiccups escaping from Mairin as he held her. After a minute Alain tried to turn her to face him, but that's when she began struggling against him, crying out.

"Help!" Her cry carried across the route, and it felt like a knife being stabbed in his heart. Her call for help made him want to run and help her, except he was the one that Mairin was afraid of, he was the person she wanted to get away from. She was calling to anyone except _him_ , "Please, help!"

"Mairin, please be quiet!" He plead, though he honestly didn't blame Mairin. She had every right to feel threatened and afraid him. She didn't know the truth, she didn't understand that she was in danger, that she was being targeted. She lashed out against him, and he hated himself as he tightened his grip. He could easily drag her away, but his heart struggled against the idea. But what else was he suppose to do? She would be dead tonight if he didn't get her out of here.

That reminder was enough to make him go cold again, her life depended on this, it didn't matter that she was afraid. He gritted his teeth, but he reached into his pocket, pulling out his Charizard's Pokeball. She was released in a flash of white light, her eyes immediately darting about for any threat. As her eyes settled on Mairin, her gaze softened in understanding. She looked down at Alain, not quite sure of what to do. With one hand still on Mairin, Alain slipped the Pokeball back into his pocket. She struggled against him, but her efforts weren't enough to loosen his grip, and that made Alain fear what someone that meant harm could do to her, she was just so fragile.

"Is everything alright?" A voice asked, and Alain jumped. Coming down the path were two humans. The women had long blonde hair drawn back, while the man she was with had teal hair. Both were watching the scene before them with interest and no worry, a warning sign for Alain. He scanned them, and Alain stiffened, recognizing them. Malva had sent him a picture of these people- they were the ones that were suppose to kill Mairin.

"Help me!" Mairin screamed at them, "Please!"

They looked up at Alain, "Don't you hear her? She doesn't want to go with you, boy," Their tone was almost mocking. They knew who he was, and he knew who they were. He wanted to tear the two Team Rocket members apart, these people were perfectly fine with murdering a little girl. His stomach churned, realizing that if he had hesitated any longer they would have found Mairin before him. He had arrived just in time.

"I'd kill you before I'd let you anywhere near her," Alain whispered fiercely, and Mairin froze in his grip. He realized that was probably the wrong choice of words, since he was wanted for murder, but he didn't care. These people wanted to hurt Mairin, and he'd do anything in his power to protect her.

"Then I guess that's our cue to fight, right Cassidy?" The man asked, pulling out a Pokeball. Alain hated the look of hope in Mairin's eyes, if only she knew what these people were really here to do to her.

"That's right Biff!" The girl, Cassidy, said as she pulled out her own Pokeball. Charizard let out a growl, advancing, but Alain signaled for her to stay back. Charizard was their only way out of here, she couldn't get injured.

"My name is Butch, not Biff!" Butch screamed at Cassidy, "We've been working together for years now, can't you get my name right!?"

"Granbull, use Crunch!" Cassidy cried, releasing the pink fairy type.

"Unfezant, Steel Wing now!" Alain ordered, and his Unfezant came soaring from out of the forest at full speed, wings gleaming with a metallic glow as he dove at the Granbull. The super effective attack struck the dog Pokemon across the chest, making it stumble back, "Sky Attack!"

Unfezant became surrounded in a golden glow of sheer power, then charged at the Granbull at full speed. Sky Attack was a powerful move on it's own, usually taking time to charge, like Solar Beam, but Alain had trained his Unfezant to have at least some of the energy drawn out at all times in the battle, so they could use it at a moment's notice. Sky Attack was known for being able to land easy critical hits, since the powerful blow often hit a Pokemon's weak points, and due to his Unfezant's ability, Super Luck, it was able to spot out those weak points with ease.

That meant that nearly every time Sky Attack from his Unfezant struck, it was a critical hit.

The force of the attack knocked out the Granbull right away, sending him flying back passed his trainer, covered in bruises. Many people had underestimated the power of his Unfezant, which was viewed as weak when compared to other regional birds; such as the swift Swellow or powerful Staraptor. His Unfezant was also male, with his decorative wattle and plumage on his head slowing him down ever so slightly in flight, especially when compared to his female counterpart. It was probably due to everyone underestimating his Unfezant though that gave it the edge in battle- everyone was surprised once they saw how powerful it truly was when on the battlefield.

Cassidy stared at her fallen Pokemon, too stunned to reply. After a moment she recalled it to the Pokeball in her head, staring at Alain, "...They said that you were a powerful trainer, but..." She shook her head in awe, "Take care of him, Chuck."

Butch froze, "MY NAME ISN'T CHUCK!" He screamed, trembling in anger as he released his Pokemon, "Mightyena, Ice Fang that punk!"

The sleek, black Pokemon sped forward, teeth gleaming with a frozen energy. He sprang up, aiming for Unfezant's wing. Unfezant used Steel Wing just as the dark type bit down, who recoiled as his teeth bounced off of the metal wing rather than sinking into the soft flesh. Unfezant flew up, wings starting to glow with an intense heat. He then released a fiery wind at the Mightyena, the Heat Wave consuming the dark type.

"Come on," Alain hissed at a struggling Mairin, dragging her towards his Charizard while the Rocket members were distracted.

"No!" Mairin cried, and Cassidy released a Sableye as she realized what Alain was doing.

"Shadow Sneak, keep them away from that Charizard!" She shrieked, and the Sableye turned into a mass of shadow, winding his way across the path, jumping up between Alain and Charizard, laughing, it's gem eyes gleaming.

"Zar!" Charizard snarled, slashing down at the ghost type with her Dragon Claw. The blow sent the Sableye flying away, and it quickly dove back into its Shadow Sneak, speeding towards its trainer in fear.

"Tyranitar!" Alain cried as Butch recalled his fallen Mightyena, "Dark Pulse, keep them back! Unfezant, return!"

Unfezant was recalled to his Pokeball, while the goliath of Alain's team was released. The mighty Tyranitar let out a roar as his Sand Stream ability activated, whipping up a harsh sandstorm around them. The whirling sand felt like sandpaper against their skin as it engulfed them, and Alain heard Mairin let out a slight whimper. He dragged a lashing Mairin towards Charizard by her wrist, who was still calling for help despite the sandstorm.

"Shuckle!" Butch's voice called from somewhere in the sandstorm, "You can handle this weather, find them and use Roll Out!"

"Tar!" Tyranitar fired a Dark Pulse in the direction of the voice, keeping the two Rocket members at bay. Alain grabbed Mairin around the waist, lifting her up with ease onto Charizard's back. Though only a few years younger than him, her resistance did little in stopping him. He pressed her down against Charizard's neck as he climbed on behind her, then aimed Tyranitar's Pokeball to the heart of the sandstorm, eyes narrowed from the ferocity of the whirling sand.

"Tyranitar return!" He cried as Charizard spread her wings open, springing into the air, struggling to get higher with two passengers and the sandstorm working against her. Alain buried the Pokeball deep into his pocket as Tyranitar was recalled, then wrapped his arms around Mairin to get a grip on Charizard's shoulders just as she broke through the sandstorm. She let out a victorious roar, quickly rising higher and speeding off into the afternoon sky, leaving the two Rockets in the remains of the sandstorm.

* * *

A scream was caught in Mairin's throat as Charizard flapped her wings fiercely, soaring through the air. Mairin had never considered herself afraid of heights, but she didn't have the courage to look down as they flew through the air. She closed her eyes, heart and mind racing as the wind tore at her hair. She could feel Alain sitting behind her, his arms brushing against her own as he gripped his Charizard for support. Mairin's own hands clung to the lizard's shoulder blades, but she still didn't feel stable.

She didn't dare shift positions, both out of fear of falling and a fear of Alain. He seemed very tense, muscles stiff and breathing heavily. She remembered his rough hands forcing her onto Charizard, and the cold look in his eyes as she had tried to run. Alain was never the warmest person, but seeing such a look after all the things the news reported about him... She was terrified. She didn't know where they were going, or what Alain was going to do to her. He had overpowered her despite her struggles, and perhaps that was the scariest thought, that she couldn't fight back.

She bit down hard on her lip, trying to keep a whimper at bay, and tears started to pour from her eyes. She had only felt a fear like this a few times in her life, and she struggled to keep herself from crying, not wanting to draw Alain's attention to her. She failed though, and before she could grasp what was happening she was hunched over, sobbing as Charizard carried them off. She felt Alain stiffen behind her, but this only made her cry harder.

"Please don't..." Alain whispered, voice sounding pained, but she couldn't stop. Her heart was thundering against her chest and tears were pouring down her cheeks, "Mairin, please stop..." His smooth voice only made her more afraid, this man was a killer. He was a murderer and she was in his grasp. She had nowhere to go, and even if she did he was faster, stronger, and she knew that he could get mad very easily.

Charizard looked back at her, the fire type's silver eyes filled with concern. Perhaps this was a small comfort to the fourteen year old, since a part of her still seemed to trust the Charizard, but at the same time Mairin knew that the lizard was deadly loyal to Alain. She would follow her trainer to the edge of the earth.

Alain didn't say anything else to her as she cried, but she could feel how tense he was. She wanted to scream at her mind to stop crying, to keep her from potentially angering Alain, but those thoughts only seemed to fuel her tears. Mairin didn't know how long they had been flying, but the sun was starting to dip towards the horizon. Charizard had tried to land a few times, only to be rebuked by Alain, clearly wanting to put as much distance between them and where he had kidnaped her as possible.

They were now swooping over vast hills, which were glowing gold in the setting sun. Alain let out a shaky sigh, "...Land here, Charizard..." He muttered, and Charizard when into a dive. Mairin shut her eyes, sobs fading into quivering hiccups. Charizard's landing was rough, stumbling from the weight and exhaustion, along with trying to keep her passengers stable. Mairin felt Charizard tuck in her large wings, and all was still.

Finally Alain shifted, then climbed off of Charizard. Mairin could hear his footsteps against the soft ground, and the sound of branches and bushes being moved out of the way, "It looks like this place is empty," He muttered, "We'll stay here for tonight."

Mairin cracked open one eye, Alain was standing in front of a small cave, peering in. She quickly closed her eyes as he turned around, as if that could somehow protect her. She felt Charizard shift under her, then let out low rumbled, "Zard," It to be a comforting sound, and she felt the Charizard press her large head against Mairin in a reassuring manner.

"...You can get off, Mairin..." Alain muttered, and she hesitantly opened one eye again. He was watching her with his cold blue eyes. There was a Pokeball resting in one of his hands, and Mairin started shaking. He looked away as she quivered, "I need Charizard to keep a look out, you need to get off of her."

Mairin shook her head, "Let me go," She whispered, "Please..."

Alain bit his lip, watching her with his sharp blue eyes. Mairin noticed his slight hesitation, then he let his gaze hardened, "Mairin, get off."

Charizard lowered herself to the ground, and Mairin slowly stepped off the winged lizard. She felt a bead of sweat slide down her neck, and she kept her eyes focused on Alain. Once Mairin was off of Charizard he gave a small hand signal, and the mighty fire type sprang back into the air, despite clearly being exhausted from carrying them. Alain glanced at Mairin, then winced as if in pain, then turned away.

With his back facing her, Mairin seized her chance and took off running. She didn't know where they were, so she simply ran down the forested hill in the direction that they had come from. Her heart thundered against her chest as she flew down the hill, weaving between the trees in a desperation to get away. She stumbled, but quickly regained her balance, not going to let her fumbling leave her vulnerable this time.

Alain seized Mairin by the collar of her shirt, pulling her back. A yelp escaped Mairin's lips as her attempt to flee was abruptly cut short. She could hear Alain's ragged breathing as he tried to catch his breath from the sudden run to catch her. Mairin quickly turned, trying to break free of his grip, and for the first time she lashed out at him, fists flying.

Her attack seemed to catch him off guard, because his grip on her shirt loosened and she was able to land two punches on her kidnapper. The first blow hit his chest, and the second landed on his face. Alain let out a small startled cry of pain, hands instinctively rising to cover his face, and Mairin turned on her heel, hoping to used to few seconds to get away once more. But even as she jumped over a rock, Mairin knew that her situation was hopeless- he recovered from the punches in moments, grabbing her and roughly throwing her to the ground. Mairin let out a whimper of pain as he stood over her, rubbing his jawbone, where a bruise was forming.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Mairin hastily whispered, curling up as she realized this was probably the worse thing she could have done. Terror was crawling up her throat, stomach churning. She closed her eyes, not sure of what to expect. All she knew was that she had made Alain angry, and she feared retaliation.

A minute of silence crawled through the forest, and Mairin dared to open her eyes, peering up at Alain in pure fear. He had lowered his hand, allowing Mairin to fully see the bruise forming on his chin that she had caused. Alain was staring down at her, eyes stormy and lost in thought as his body trembled. He had a far off, almost uncertain look in his gaze, and some part of Mairin could have sworn that she saw guilt... But she was sure that was only wishful thinking from her desperate mind.

Alain turned away as their eyes met, and he clenched his fists, "...I don't want to use force on you," He said quietly, and he didn't even seemed upset or fazed that she had punched him. But then again it was possible that her attacks hadn't been that threatening in the first place, "But if you keep fighting against me I will," He finished, gulping. He glanced back at her, hesitating, but reached out with one hand.

Mairin wanted to scream and push it away, but her desire to fight was gone. She couldn't do a thing, her only hope was to listen to Alain and pray that she'd get an opportunity to get away before her situation got worse. She flinched, and was visibly shaking as reached out with her own arm. Mairin place her hand into his, allowing him to pull her to feet. The gesture didn't feel friendly, there was still a thick tension churning in the air, and as soon as she was balanced he shifted his grip to around her wrist. Mairin gulped at the tight grasp, but didn't offer any more resistance as Alain lead her to back to the little cave that he had found earlier. Her heart pattered as she realized that she hadn't gotten far in her run, her efforts had been nothing but pathetic.

Mairin kept her head low, mind racing. She still had her backpack, meaning she had all of her traveling gear. She also had her Pokemon with her, but she was sure that wouldn't be lasting for long. Her heart twisted, she didn't want her Pokemon to get caught up in all of this!

"...Get in..." Alain muttered as they reached the cave, pushing her forward slightly. Mairin stumbled in, and Alain released her wrist. He strolled in after her, pulling out a Pokeball from his pocket and releasing his Metagross, "Keep watch," He told the steel type simply as it took form right outside the cave. The Metagross gave a single nod at this, settling down right in the entrance of the shallow cave, leaving no way for Mairin to get out. She stumbled back towards the corner of the cave, watching Alain with wide eyes, cornered.

He didn't even glance at her, he only knelt down, pulling off his backpack, his gaze flickering about the cave, never quite landing on her.


	4. Chapter 4 - Distance

**Chapter Four - Distance**

Alain couldn't bring himself to look at Mairin, he couldn't take one more second of seeing her so afraid. It hurt, it more than the guilt in his heart and the bruise on his chin. He rubbed his jaw bone for a moment, Mairin had hit him pretty good for someone her age, but he knew the pain would go down in a day, he had gotten worse injuries on his journeys.

Alain briefly touched his shoulder, remembering back on the day when mega Rayquaza had attacked, injuring his shoulder in the process. That event had truly frightened Mairin, along as when they had faced the primal Pokemon. But the fear she had with her now was even worse than then. Alain closed his eyes, then forced himself to look at Mairin.

She let out a quiet yelp as she realized that he was watching her. She was fumbling with two red spheres, quickly and desperately stuffing them back into her bag. Mairin stumbled back, shaking as she clutched her bag close.

Alain let out a sigh, "I'm not going to take your Pokemon," He said quietly, quickly piecing together what was racing through her mind, "If it makes you feel better then let one out," Alain suggested after a moment, hoping to give her some form of comfort since he couldn't provide any himself. She gave him a hesitant look, clearly unsure if she should trust his words or not, but Alain simply looked away. It wasn't like she could use her Pokemon to get away, Metagross could handle both of her Pokemon. Mairin let out a small whimper, then there was the sound of a Pokeball opening.

"Pin!" Came the familiar called of a Chespin. Alain glanced over his shoulder as he pulled out his sleeping bag. Chespie, Mairin's starter, was stretching, a happy grin on his face. He bounded over to Mairin, leaping into her arms. Mairin wrapped her arms around the grass type, bringing him into a tight hug. A frown crossed the Chespin's face as he was held in Mairin's trembling arms, "Chespin ches?" Chespie asked quietly as tears ran down Mairin's face, but she didn't say a word.

Alain didn't even notice his hands trembling, what did he say to her? This was his first time seeing Mairin in months, and he had just _kidnapped_ her. She was terrified, probably fearing the worse. He closed his eyes, gritting his jaw, he couldn't do this to her...

But the alternative was even worse, if he didn't do this she could die.

"You have camping gear, right?" Alain asked, letting his voice slip into it's familiar coldness. If he still couldn't look at her, then he just needed to focus on one thing at a time. This was the only way he was going to get through this.

"...Y-yes," Mairin whispered, her voice quiet.

"Chespin!" Chespie snarled, eyes widening as he saw Alain, the realization of Mairin's strange behavior setting in. The little Chespin sprang out of his trainer's hug, forming a Pin Missile from the sharp spines on his head.

"Chespie wait!" Mairin cried, but Metagross's eyes began to glow with Psychic, redirecting the Pin Missile that had been fired, sending them right back at Chespie. The little grass type whimpered as the super effective move hit him, sending him back into Mairin's arms, "Chespie, are you okay?!"

Alain gave a sharp glance at the Metagross at the cave entrance, "That was unnecessary," He snapped at the steel type, which looked away submissively, "Protect, don't attack," Gulping, Alain turned to face Mairin, heart racing as he watched her embrace the little Pokemon. He hesitantly approached her, "I'm sorry," He whispered, "Is Chespie okay? I have a potion if he needs-"

Alain fell silent as Chespie let out a hiss at him, slinking up onto Mairin's shoulder like a Meowth. He was a bit worn, but just fine. Mairin turned away from Alain, facing the cave wall, still shaking. She flinched as she heard his footsteps come closer, and Alain couldn't bring himself to take one more step towards her. He wasn't in the position at the moment to approach her this way, not when she didn't trust him. It just wasn't fair to her.

Alain bit his lip, but quietly retreated back towards his bag. He needed to do this one step at a time. First make sure that she was safe, that was his first and main priority. After that he could then focus on regaining her trust, even if the distrust in her eyes hurt him now.

And hopefully, in time, he could prove to her that he was still her friend.

 _But were we ever friends in the first place?_ Alain shuddered as the nagging doubt entered his mind. _All you ever did was push her away no matter what she did for you. And even when you did reach out to her, you always managed to find something to say that would hurt her._

Why had Mairin let him back into his life so many times? Even after turning against Team Flare, he had still once been apart of them. It was because of him that Flare had dragged Mairin into everything, that Chespie had been hurt. He had stood by and had done nothing when they had kidnapped Ash, he had let his friend be taken. And even after Team Flare was defeated, when he was trying to rebuild his life and open up, he had still found ways to leave Mairin behind, and they had even been officially traveling together during that time!

No wonder she had been so quick to believe his accusers, after being nothing but cold to her.

"...Try to get some sleep..." Alain finally choked out as he laid his sleeping bag on the ground. He tried to ignore the fact that Mairin took everything he said as an order, hastily pulling out her green sleeping back and spreading it out in the far corner of the cave. She was quietly whispering to Chespie, but Alain did his best to mute out her whispers- he didn't want to hear the tale of him kidnapping her.

 _It hasn't even been a day,_ He thought weakly, _And you can barely handle this. How long are you going to be able to hold out? Mess up Alain and they'll hurt her. They'll kill her. You_ can't _slip up._

His thoughts were silenced as Charizard returned. She quietly landed outside the cave, giving a small grunt to Metagross, who let her slide past. The fire type slipped into the cave, quickly glancing around before heading over to Alain. Her gentle silver gaze was all he needed to see to know that the area was safe. He quietly returned Charizard to her Pokeball for her much needed rest, before slipping into his own sleeping bag. For a moment he dared to look across the darkening cave at Mairin. She was curled up in her sleeping bag, her back towards him, Chespie wrapped up tightly in her grip. She wasn't making any noise, but her quivering and hunched shoulders were more than enough to show that she was crying.

Alain felt his mouth opening, attempting to say something to comfort Mairin, but he held his tongue. She'd be more comforted to hear nothing from him.

And boy, did that feeling hurt more than he thought it would.

* * *

Mairin wasn't quite sure why a feeling of dread hung over her, but all she knew was that she didn't want to get out of bed.

Her eyes were shut tightly, stinging with a sharp dryness as if she had been crying, but she couldn't quite reminder why. So instead she clutched Chespie closer to her, shifting as she tried to find a comfortable position. Since when had her bed been so uncomfortable and rough? A small groan escaped from Mairin as she shifted about some more, quickly realizing that her cocoon of a sleeping bag was not her bed.

Mairin's eyes popped open, blinking rapidly as she stared at the rocky wall of a cave. That's right, she was traveling again, she was camping out... But a sickly feeling lingered in her gut, slowly growing as her mind raced, starting to recall yesterday. Fear slowly crawled up Mairin's throat as she dared to turn over, looking over the rest of the cave.

Chespie laid fast asleep in her arms, mumbling unhappily as she suddenly sat up, heart racing against her chest. Alain's black sleeping bag laid empty on the other side of the cave, unzipped and ruffled, showing that it hadn't been long since someone had been in it. Alain's blue scarf laid on a rock next to the sleeping bag, his fingerless gloves sitting right next to it. The events of yesterday came crashing down onto Mairin as she stared at Alain's items.

Alain had kidnapped her.

Quickly jumping out of her sleeping bag, Mairin quickly grabbed her backpack, which luckily seemed untouched. She seized Chespie's Pokeball, not wanting him to become victim to an attack like he had yesterday, and returned the sleeping Pokemon to the red sphere. She tucked him away into her backpack, next to Bébé's Pokeball, and didn't even bother gathering up her sleeping bag as she slipped her backpack over a shoulder. She didn't know where Alain was, but she wasn't going to waste a single moment that could be used in escaping. With one more glance around the cave, Mairin headed towards the exit as quickly as she could- well, as quickly as she could without tripping over her own feet.

Unfortunately she found herself skittering to a halt moments after stepping outside the cave.

Alain looked up as he heard the sounds of her fumbling about, eyes blinking several times. Mairin stiffened as his deep blue eyes stared into hers, flickering over her panicked form and the backpack slung over her shoulder, clearly prepared to run. She could see a dark mark on his jaw bone- a bruise from her punch. Alain's words from yesterday came into her mind, and Mairin retreated several steps back into the cave, but Alain kept watching her.

He was sitting not far outside the cave, cross-legged across from his Bisharp and Unfezant, a map spread out on a rock in front of him. He turned his attention back to the map, marking something on it, and Mairin lingered near the mouth of the cave, palms sweating. Knowing that running would get her nowhere at the moment, she quietly returned to her sleeping bag, setting her backpack down right next to it. She sat down on her sleeping bag, staring ahead into the nothingness of the cave, the reality of her situation truly beginning to set in.

She drew her knees up, eyes stinging as tears hit her dry eyes. What was she suppose to do? Her entire will crumbled when he simply looked at her, and yesterday had done nothing but prove that he could overpower her even without his Pokemon. She shivered, remembering how easily Alain had dragged her away when she had refused to come with him. What would have happened if she had come willingly? Would he had treated her less like a prisoner? Perhaps it would be better to comply for now... gain his trust, then run with his guard down.

No, he was dangerous. No matter what circumstances he was approached, he had already proved that he would kidnap and kill. Mairin's stomach twisted, no matter what had happened some part of her seemed to refuse to accept that Alain had killed someone. It was probably the same part of her that kept fondly recalling their time together in the past. She needed to get that out of her mind. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to remember every time he had hurt her as well- saying those harsh words and leaving her behind...

...Alain doing everything in his power to save Chespie...

"Are you hungry?"

Mairin jumped as his voice reached her ears, scrambling back in fear as she was snapped from her memories. Alain stood in the doorway, watching her with those deep eyes. He didn't say anything else for a moment, just waiting for an answer, and Mairin gulped. Was she hungry? Yes. Could she eat anything? Her stomach churned, no, she didn't think she could keep anything down.

"...No..." Mairin whispered, not wanting to keep him waiting on an answer.

Alain frowned at this, and Mairin pulled back, "...Alright," He muttered after a moment, as if he were struggling to come up with a reply. How could he seem so cold, yet uncertain? He drew back a little, pausing, "...You can come out, if you want," He said slowly, "...Just leave your stuff in here."

Bitterness built up in Mairin, she'd rather be tied up and gagged, this felt more mocking than anything. No matter how much of an illusion of freedom he gave, she was a prisoner here. She looked up at him for a moment, "...I'm staying in here," She said, trying to keep her tone even, but she still flinched and closed her eyes in fear.

Alain didn't reply, and she dared to peek again after a minute. Alain was no longer at the entrance to the cave. Glad to be free of his petrifying gaze, Mairin leaned against the cave wall, drawing her backpack close. She was now regretting not buying a Holo Caster, having convinced herself that it would be better to save up for a new one rather than buy a used one- that she'd just use the videophones at the Pokemon Centers until she got one. Now she had no way to communicate with the outside world. She pulled her old Pokedex out from her bag, turning it over several times before deciding that it would be useless to her, and she stuffed it back in, feeling frustrated.

Mairin finally pulled out Bébé's Pokeball, looking down at the small sphere. It was the first Pokemon she had ever caught, and she wouldn't have been able to have done it without Alain's help. She had never made any further effort to catch another Pokemon, even if the opportunity had been present. Mairin expanded the Pokeball, deciding that it would be only fair to inform the Flabébé of the situation they were now in.

Pressing the release button, the Pokeball burst open with a flash of blue light, releasing the yellow flowered Flabébé. The fairy type opened her eyes, blinking a few times, "Fla?" She cooed quietly, giving a small yawn.

"Hey Bébé," Mairin said with a small smile. She wouldn't say that she wasn't close to Bébé, but the Flabébé simply preferred her own space and a quieter lifestyle, drifting about the garden in Mairin's home and sleeping under the moon. She had seemed indifferent when Mairin had told her of the idea of starting a journey once more, but had seemed pretty excited when she had offered to let her out whenever they came across a lush area.

So Bébé was able to realize that something wasn't right when she was released into a cave, no battle in sight, and with Mairin who was looking paler than a ghost type. The Flabébé drifted close to Mairin, letting out a concern call, "Fla?"

Mairin gulped, glancing towards the entrance, then back to Bébé, "I... I, um..." She felt tears pricking her eyes, "Bébé... Yesterday I saw A-alain while traveling..." The fairy type frowned, aware of what the humans thought the man, "And h-he... He..." Mairin shivered, "He made me go with him..." Mairin whispered, "I tried to fight but I'm not that s-strong and- and-" She hiccuped, then broke down sobbing, "I'm s-sorry!" She cried, "You're stuck in t-this too because of me and- and-" Mairin couldn't finish, just curled up and gave in to her tears.

Bébé watched her trainer, piecing together Mairin's shaky explanation, drooping as the realization of their situation hit both of them. The fairy type drifted close to Mairin, trying to find someway to comfort her. The girl was wearing the same clothes she had yesterday, now looking wrinkled and worn. Bébé landed on Mairin's head, releasing a gentle Aromatherapy into the air in hopes of calming her down. Faintly glowing, a sweet scent filled the air of the cave, and Mairin's crying quieted down into sniffles. Trainer and Pokemon sat there for a moment in the silence, embracing the temporally sense of calm.

Mairin took in a deep breath, then looked into her bag once more, pulling out a spare change of clothes. She stared down at them, wanting to get out of her current outfit, but...

Gulping slightly, Mairin rose to her feet, looking at the cave exit for a moment, then approached it. She wiped away a few tears, blinking as she took a few steps into the sunlight, then looking towards where Alain had been earlier.

The map was now gone, and so was Unfezant. Bisharp stood near by Alain as he ate a handful of blue Oran berries resting in his palm. Alain twisted one absentmindedly between two fingers, staring up at the sky. He was leaning up against the rock that the map had been on earlier, his bag sitting right next to him. Alain didn't seem to notice Mairin, but she knew better than to bolt with his Bisharp glaring at her. Gulping, and trying not to quiver with fear, she cleared her throat.

He didn't respond, still staring up at the sky, lost in thought.

"A-alain," She whispered, part of her wondering if she even wanted to draw his attention. But... but she didn't want anything to happen... "Alain," She called, slightly louder, and he shifted. Her captor sat up, blinking, then look towards her. She immediately shrank back, she now had his attention.

"...I already said that you could come out," He said, watching her linger at the mouth of the cave.

She gulped, "I-" She opened her mouth, then closed it. Flabébé shifted on her head, reminding Mairin that she wasn't alone, "I- I'm not coming out," She muttered, glancing back into the cave, then at Alain once more, "I... I am going to change, and..." She shivered nervously, "...And you're not going to come in while I do that," She finally said, trying to leave no room for argument, though her voice sounded more like a timid Whismur.

Alain blinked, "Alright," He said after a moment, then he looked down at his berries, sighing, and plopped an Oran berry in his mouth. Mairin watched him closely for a minute, startled that he had listened to the request so simply. She took a few steps back into the cave, then lifted Bébé off of her head.

"Please go make sure that he stays away," Mairin whispered as she picked up her clothes, knowing that there wasn't much Bébé could do, but a warning would be better than nothing.


	5. Chapter 5 - Why?

**Chapter Five - Why?**

"Thank you Professor, for your time," The Officer Jenny said, rising to her feet. Professor Sycamore nodded, standing as well, "You will be informed if either of them are located."

"Let me show you to the door," Sycamore offered, but the officer simply shook her head.

"I'll see myself out, Professor," She replied, heading towards the door of the lab, "I'm sure you're quite busy," She glanced towards Garchomp, who sat in the corner of the lab, staring down at her claws. There was a lack of color in her rough scales, and the Pokemon had a noticeable loss of appetite within the last week.

"Good day to you then," Professor Sycamore told Officer Jenny, who gave a short nod, then exited the lab. Professor Sycamore let out a sigh of relief as she left, then turned to face Garchomp, "Hey girl," He said softly to her, and she looked towards him sadly, "Why don't you come over here?"

"Chompa," She rumbled, pushing herself to her feet, dragging herself over to the professor. Sycamore stroked her snout.

"I know, you miss Alain," Professor Sycamore said quietly, his former lab assistant had been the one who had rescued the dragon type in the first place.

"Gar," She added.

"And Mairin," The professor whispered, "And little Mairin..." During those years she had quit traveling, Mairin would still often make stops by the lab, to play with the Pokemon, run the professor errands, and to always ask if he had heard from Alain lately.

And now she was missing.

Officer Jenny had known that his lab was a frequent stopping point for Mairin, and had come in hopes of gaining a few leads. It wasn't the first time she and other officers had been here in the last month, even the International Police had come! Because, after all, their case involved both Alain and Dexio, former lab assistants of his. And now that Mairin was gone he was sure they'd be here more often... He wasn't sure how much more questioning he could take. They didn't suspect him or anything, but he was also their best source of information on everyone in their case.

The professor was having a hard time believing that Alain had targeted Dexio, despite all of the... convincing evidence the police had shown him. But where was the motive? The gain? Then there was the fact that the police now believed that Alain was involved with Mairin's disappearance too. Sycamore just hated how... aggressive the police were acting. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? Sure, Alain had ran, but they didn't seem to be able to accept the fact that someone else could be involved.

But did Professor Sycamore believe that Alain was involved with Mairin's disappearance? Yes, yes he did.

"Sophie?" Professor Sycamore called, walking forward, "Do you possibly think you could get me a coffee?"

Garchomp followed the professor through the lab as Sophie called back, "Yes Professor!" A frown crossed the professor's face heading towards the back of the lab. He wasn't one to lie to law enforcement, but he had lied on one of their many questions. Has he had recent contact with Alain? He had told them no, but that wasn't true.

Opening a drawer, Professor Sycamore pulled out an old laptop, one that hadn't see much use since before the days before Alain had joined Team Flare. The professor had pulled it out not long ago, only to find a recent message from a field device that Alain had used the first time he had worked for him. He hadn't even thought that Alain still had it, but the message said otherwise. It had been very simple:

 _Professor-_

 _If you ever see this then I only want to apologize for what is about to happen. It is beyond any of our control. Please keep Mairin safe until I am able to do something._

 _-Alain._

It had been sent the same day he had fled, nearly a week before he had been even marked as a suspect. Some part of him wanted to show this message to the police officers, but he knew that they would only draw this as evidence that Alain was fully aware of what he was doing, and that he had indeed had gone after Mairin. But the professor saw this as something else, that something much more was going on, and that Alain knew the bigger picture. Then again, Alain had a history of going drastic measures to protect someone, and for being abled to be easily influenced. But it was unfair to judge him for what Lysandre had done, that man had fooled everyone.

Professor Sycamore wasn't fearful for Mairin, he knew that she was with Alain, the message and the fact that she was gone was enough to prove that in his mind, and he couldn't imagine a safer place for Mairin. Alain would do anything for her.

But what was the danger?

Garchomp was looking over Professor Sycamore's shoulder, letting out a low rumble. He stroked the dragon type. No matter what was going on though, the one who wasn't safe was Alain, with the police looking for him, along with... with what had made him run in the first place. But the professor wasn't sure of what he could do for Alain. As long as Alain remained in Kalos he would have little options on where to hide, and with the police at his lab every other day, Sycamore couldn't seek out Alain himself...

"Here you go, sir," Sophie said, stepping into the lab with a mug of coffee in her hands. Professor Sycamore jumped, quickly shutting the laptop, "Sorry for startling you sir! I have your coffee, and I wanted to let you know that Sina called from Hoenn, she wants permission to move her current research to a facility in Alola, they apparently extended her an invitation of some kind. She wants you to call her to get the full details, apparently this would be a good opportunity in our lab's research."

Professor Sycamore paused, "Hoenn, huh? Hmm..." He took the mug from Sophie, "Thank you Sophie, I have several things I need to take care of, so if you could give me some space for the rest of the day, that would be marvelous."

"Of course sir," Sophie replied, stepping out of the room.

* * *

Charizard heavily flapped her wings, exhausted from a whole day of flying. Alain felt bad for pushing his starter this far, but ever since Mairin had joined their group he had little other choice, knowing that Mairin would take no effort in covering their trail if they went by foot. He didn't blame her, but for both of their safety he had no choice but to take as much caution when it came to leaving tracks that Rocket or the police could follow.

He wasn't to sure on what was going on in society at the moment- if Mairin had been reported missing or not, if it had been tied back to him or not- it had been about three nights since he had taken her now, with the fourth one rapidly approaching, and the last few days had been nothing but misery for Alain.

Mairin had been quiet most of the time, but Alain hated waking up in the middle of the night only to hear Mairin crying. It simply hurt, hearing her cry, knowing that she feared him, it felt like a knife in his gut. Keeping Mairin from running exhausted him mentally, so much that he hadn't even began making efforts of regaining her trust.

...Or perhaps he was just simply afraid of becoming close to her again.

"A-alain?"

He struggled not to flinch as he heard her voice. She had done this several times, approaching him in a serious manner as if nothing were wrong, and he knew that she had probably spent several minutes gathering the courage to simply speak to him. He took in a deep breath, looking towards her. She didn't turn around, both hands clinging to the metallic band on Charizard's neck to stay balanced as they flew.

"Yes?" He found that it was best if he kept his voice quiet and even, snapping as he usually did when he was pulled from his thoughts didn't go over well for Mairin, which resulted in her becoming fearful of his harsher tone.

She shifted as Charizard caught an updraft, rising higher into the air. He saw her hands quivering slightly, as a single word escaped from her lips, tone desperate and confused.

"Why?"

Alain couldn't stop a flinch at this question, and with Mairin sitting right in front of him she felt it. She tensed, hands wrapping tightly around Charizard, who had turned to look back at them. The bright silver eyes of the Charizard were looking straight into her trainer's, quietly waiting to see how he'd respond to the question. Alain held Charizard's gaze, before she had to turn back to watch were they were flying.

"Why did I kidnapped you?" Alain asked, startled at the harshness he had allowed to come into his voice. He had meant to stay calm, but instead he now had to watch Mairin coward from his tone, fear clearly running through her. When nothing happened Mairin glanced over her shoulder, giving the smallest nod Alain had ever seen, responding to his question. Taking in a shaky breath Alain forced himself to calm himself down as she looked ahead once more, "...You're in danger," Alain said quietly, "I can't let you get hurt."

She didn't move, but he was sure that she didn't believe him, or perhaps she thought he was delusional. Silence hung in the air, and Alain wasn't sure if he should expand on their true situation. Rocket was known to be a Kantonian organization with Johtonese influences, so why should she believe any story about them in Kalos?

"W-wha are..." She began to form her second question, but it died down just as quickly, and a trembling came over her once more, "Wh-what a-are-" Alain hated watching her mentally struggle to simply ask him a question, stumbling over her own words even more than she fumbled over her feet. Alain couldn't help but admire the way she kept mustering up courage to talk to him despite her clear fear, but that was always drowned out by the fact that she was afraid in the first place, "W-what are y-you going t-to d-do to m-me?" She finally blurted out.

Flinch. Cower.

It was like clockwork now, every time she said something. She'd flinch as soon as she spoke, then cower as if he'd hit her. Alain wouldn't deny the fact that he had been forceful with her, like when she had tried to run, but he had hoped that after basically three days she'd know that he wouldn't hurt her. It didn't matter though, her fear had not changed during these last few days.

And it hurt him so much to see it.

"...Nothing," Alain replied. He wasn't going to do anything to her, he would never hurt her, and he hated the fact that she thought that could be a possibility.

Mairin stiffened, voice trembling slightly, "What do you want with me then!?" She cried at him, raising her voice for the first time since he had kidnapped her.

"I already told you!" Alain snapped back, "You're in danger, and I'm not going to let you get hurt! Even if it means that I have to drag you across the region, I will! I don't care if you're scared of me, and I don't care if I have to make you more scared to do so!"

Flinch. Cower.

Alain regretted his words right away, watching Mairin's anger seep away as her fear took hold of her once more. No! He did care! He didn't want her to be scared, he didn't want any of this! Why did he always speak before thinking! Why did his mind always push Mairin like this, push her away from him, push her into fearing him, when his heart only wanted to bring her closer!

Alain gritted his teeth, "We're going to be landing soon. Don't speak with me again unless it's important."

He could barely handle talking to her now... But Alain simply turned his head away, not even attempting to say anything to fix the mess he had just made. He was screaming at himself on the inside- her being scared of what society portrayed him as was one thing- but purposely making her scared of him was another. He hated himself as he pressed his lips together, mind made up on moving forward when his heart wanted to tear himself apart. As if he didn't have enough on his plate, but he was now beginning to fight in a civil war against himself.

Mairin didn't say another word for the rest of the flight, but to Alain's surprise she didn't seem to be crying either. Sure, she was hunched over, shaking, but he could hear no cries coming from her. She had also made no effort to wipe away any tears, just staring down at her clenched hands. ...Was she still angry?

Honestly, Alain hoped so. She could feel anything towards him- just anything but fear. She could hate him, loathe him, and he wouldn't even be surprised. Not just because what he had done to her recently, but everything he had ever done to Mairin. Alain shifted slightly, only to find Mairin flinching once more. Of course her fear wouldn't just vanish, he knew that, but like always it hurt.

Charizard was gasping for air as she flew on, and Alain ran a hand across her scales, "Just a little farther," He muttered to the dragon-like Pokemon, who glared back at him. He blinked in surprise at the coldness in the fire type's eyes, she wasn't happy with him. He knew in moments that she wasn't angry for being pushed this far, she was angry with how he had been treated Mairin. Alain looked away, "I'll let you rest when we land," He told the dragon, voice cold.

* * *

Mairin was grateful for the brightness of the moon, not only was it helping her stay awake, but the light was helping her spot out the smaller details of their surroundings that she normally wouldn't be able to see at night. She curled up a bit tighter in her sleeping bag, a cool breeze rushing through the rocky forest. Unlike the last three nights of being kidnapped by Alain, this time they weren't camping out in a cave. While the open forest was a bit more inviting than a damp cave, she missed the walls around her that kept the wind at bay. But it didn't matter, because she would be up tonight no matter what.

Because tonight she was running.

Yes, she knew that her last few escape attempts hadn't gone well, but tonight was different. First of all Alain had barely glanced at her while he had set up camp, he was probably angry still with her, probably for questioning him like she had. While not best to have her captor angry with her, it had allowed Mairin to properly get a look around the area they were camping without drawing too much attention to herself. The area was quite barren- for a forest at least. The trees were thin and grew wide apart, and there was little undergrowth. This meant she could easily slip away without causing too much noise. However the ground was rocky and uneven in many places, and she seen cracks deeper crevices in the dry ground, and Mairin knew that wasn't the best for her clumsy nature, but tonight was also her best chance to run...

Because Alain had forgotten to put one of his Pokemon on watch.

Okay, perhaps that wasn't fair to say, because Charizard was doing her best. Mairin watched through one eye as the fire type jerked her head up as she started to drift off. She shook her head, trying to stay awake as the moon rose higher in the sky. Alain's anger did have its uses, and he had forgotten to put poor Charizard away into her Pokeball once they had landed. Charizard hadn't seemed willing to talk to Alain, an anger of her own brewing in her silver eyes, so she hadn't even sought out Alain's attention to be returned.

And with no other Pokemon of his out, the Charizard had taken it upon herself to keep watch as they slept. But as Mairin laid there, watching Charizard in the moonlight, she saw that fire type wouldn't last much longer. Her limbs were shaking in exhaustion, eyelids drooping as she fought to keep her eyes opened. Mairin did feel bad for the Charizard- who was doing so much for Alain despite the way he had treated her- but she needed Charizard to fall asleep. Once the lizard was out, Mairin would have her ticket out of here.

Mairin held her breath as she watched Charizard's eyes close for a minute, before snapping open once more. Gritting her teeth, Charizard dug a Dragon Claw into the side of her arm to help keep herself awake. It only lasted for another few minutes, because the next thing Mairin knew the lizard had drifted off once more. Mairin resisted the urge to run, knowing that the Charizard wasn't fully out for the night. Sure enough, her eyes popped right back only a few minutes later, blinking tiredly.

Mairin wasn't the most patient, but she'd had to force herself to be still as Charizard drifted in and out of sleep. She had to wait just long enough so she was sure Charizard wouldn't wake up when she ran- but she had to get out of here as soon as possible to get the best head start before morning came.

Suddenly Alain's Charizard let out a low snore, making Mairin jump. She blinked, turning her gaze back towards Charizard as she let out another deep snore. Did this mean that the dragon was out for the night? Mairin resisted the urge to sit up, knowing that she could ruin everything if she rushed. Instead she held her breath again, eyes closely darting between the silhouettes of Alain and Charizard.

Only snores.

A few minutes grew to five, and five grew into ten. Mairin was twitching in her sleeping bag, the minutes feeling like hours to her as she watched her captors sleep. Finally she took in a deep breath, sitting up. Her heart was racing as she watched Alain, but he didn't stir. Charizard only snored on, so exhausted that she was out cold. Mairin let out a small sigh, knowing that it was now or never.

She quietly slipped out of her sleeping bag, doing her best not to rustle it and wake someone. She quickly slipped on her shoes, shivering in the cold wind that was rushing through the trees. Hopefully the wind would work to her advantage, masking any sounds she might make while moving. Still, she didn't want to take any risks here in this little clearing, so she did not dare to roll up her sleeping bag or even open up her backpack to pull out a jacket. She slipped her bag over one shoulder, eyes never leaving Alain's sleeping form as she gathered her things.

Despite everything he had done to her, Mairin couldn't help but noticed how peaceful Alain looked while he slept. There was no scowl on his face, no tension in his lips. She wouldn't say that he was smiling, but he looked so relaxed unlike when he was awake that Mairin couldn't help but say that he looked happy right now. It honestly hurt to see him like this, only bringing up memories of before all of this had happen. Memories that were once ones she treasured, but now only brought pain to her heart.

Mairin tore her gaze away from Alain, closing her eyes as she stood up. She watched her feet carefully as she walked away, doing her best not to trip and fall, or step on something that would wake someone up. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering as another cold breeze rushed by. She looked down at her sleeping bag, half wanting to crawl back in a sleep.

No! This was her only chance, why was she hesitating?! She wanted to get away from Alain... right?

Mairin shook her head, then quietly took off towards the forest.

Even once Alain and the camp fell out of sight, Mairin didn't dare relax. Her eyes were kept glued to the ground, careful navigating around every dip and rock in the barren forest. She forced herself to freeze everytime the wind stopped, straining her ears as she listened for the sounds of anything following her.

Silence.

She let out a small sigh, knowing that this was a good thing, but the darkness of the forest still gave her chills. The moonlight cast long shadows on the ground, the wind rustling leaves as she walked. Mairin considered stopping to get out her jacket, but she knew she had to keep moving.

"Krow!"

Mairin let out a startled cry, spinning around as the caw reached her ears. She stumbled back, looking up at the Murkrow perched in the tree. The dark type looked just as startled as she did, his feathers ruffled up in alarm. Mairin stared up at the bird-like Pokemon, heart racing. The Murkrow blinked down at her, then quickly took to the air, flying off.

Mairin shivered, seeing a Murkrow at night was suppose to bring bad luck. She shook her head, she didn't believe in superstitions like that- she was just fine. She forced herself to keep walking, eyes glued on the forest ahead. Murkrow were simply dark types, so it made sense they'd be awake at night. And there was nothing strange about seeing a bird Pokemon in the forest- that was their home.

She didn't encounter any other Pokemon as she carried on, and the coldness was really starting to get to her. Her teeth chattered and goosebumps covered her arms. She closed her eyes miserably as she forced herself to keep moving. She wondered how long it had been since she had left the camp. Ten minutes? Thirity? Maybe even an hour? She suppose that was trying to get her hopes up, but it had been some time... Could she risk stopping to rest? She could just get her jacket out at the very least, she wouldn't get far if she froze-

"Agh!" Mairin cried as she took another step forward, and suddenly the ground below her was gone. She was tumbling forward, her whole world spinning as she fell down into a rocky ditch. She slammed into the rough bottom, groaning in pain as she came to a stop, the sudden fall only lasting a few seconds.

Her eyes were glued shut, mind trying to catch up to what had just happened. She cracked open on eye, pain throbbing through her body. Everywhere felt bruised- her head, her arms, her legs, stomach, back- everything ached. She lifted her head a bit, shuddering. She was so stupid! Why had she stopped looking at where she was walking?! She knew she was clumsy! She knew that this forest was covered with holes and ditches!

Mairin tilted her head, looking up from where she had fell. This was by far the largest ditch she had seen yet in this forest, more like a crevice than anything. It was perhaps six feet deep, though it looked much taller from her current perspective, laying on the ground and looking up at the stars and moon shining through the leaves. Mairin shuddered as she felt something liquid run down her face, she wasn't crying, was she? She wouldn't be surprised, everything was hurting. She slowly flexed each limb, relief rushing through her. Yes, it did pain her, but nothing felt broken, only bruised. She had hit the side of the crevice when she had fell, but that had luckily turned her a bit so she landed on her side instead of her face- meaning her backpack had cushioned the worse of the fall. She was grateful that she had it draped over her shoulder rather than her whole back. She didn't know how much of a fall it would take to break a bone, but she sure this would have been deep enough.

Mairin finally decided to sit up, limbs screaming in pain as she attempted to move. She braced herself against the side of the ditch, but found her left arm throbbing in pain as she tried to sit up. Mairin blinked, slowly realizing that she had managed to get it wedged between two rocks at the bottom of the ditch. She tried to sit up again, pushing with her other arm against the rocks, but they would not shift. Panic began rushing through her, and she tried to reach into her backpack to grab a Pokeball, perhaps Chespie could help free her! One strap was looped around her trapped arm, meaning she couldn't take off her backpack, but the bag itself was laying on the other side of the rocks, just out of reach due to the way she was wedged into the rocks.

Mairin sat there for a moment, before attempting to pull free once more, the other arm desperately trying to reach the opening of her bag- just trying to shift it towards her! Nothing was working! Even more panic rushed through her as her arm shifted to even deeper between the rocks. Mairin finally stopped struggling, sitting there shaking as the realization came over her.

She was trapped.


	6. Chapter 6 - Separated

**Chapter Six - Separated**

The stupid crevice couldn't even shield her from the wind.

Mairin shivered as the cold wind rushed between the ditch she was trapped in. She shifted, trying to find some comfortable position- or even one to keep her somewhat warm. Nothing worked. Her entire body was aching in pain, but her left arm had the worse of it. Not only had she practically landed right on it, but it was the one currently trapped between the rocks, keeping her anchored to the bottom of the crevice.

Her left arm was tingling painfully, with her weight on it along side the pressure of the rocks, barely any blood was flowing through her arm. She braced her other arm against the cold earth, lifting her body up as much as she could, allowing some blood to flow into her arm. It screamed up at her in pain, like hundreds of needles her pricking her from the inside out. Mairin gritted her teeth, arm shaking as it held her up. After a moment she sagged back onto her side, unable to support herself any longer.

Mairin stiffened as she felt something warm slide down her forehead- so she knew it couldn't be tears. Shakily she reached up with her free arm, wiping the liquid away. She brought her arm in front of her, looking at it in the bright moon light, shivering at the sight of the crimson liquid.

Blood.

Tears stung her eyes, and she gently patted her scalp, and sure enough her hand felt more blood. It didn't seem like much, only a cut, she hadn't even realized that she was bleeding until now. Mairin turned her head, everything hurt so much, but the fear was worse. What were the chances that someone would find her down here? Alain had done nothing but stick to basically untraveled routes. She shivered at the thought of being trapped down her, starving to death... No, she'd die of thirst first, wouldn't she...? Why was she thinking like that?! She needed to stay on the bright side...

Mairin wrapped her free arm around herself. The only bright side would be her getting free- which she had already proven she couldn't do on her own. She could only hope that someone would find her. But how could that be "the bright side" when the only person in the area would probably be Alain...

She stiffened at the mere thought- the last thing she wanted was for him to find her after she had tried to escape again! She'd never get another ounce of trust from him, not like she had any in the first place... Would he even bother helping her if he found her? ...Judging from their conversation she was sure that Alain would get her out- he had made it quite clear that wherever he went he would drag her along.

She shivered some more, both at her thoughts and at the cold. She wouldn't be surprised she was tied up after this, that would be one way to keep her from running... Or maybe he'd just keep her down here, throw her food or something... Mairin closed her eyes, Alain wasn't going to find her, she'd get out of here first...

How? Her toes were already going numb with the cold, and her struggles so far had done nothing. Maybe she'd be able to reach a Pokeball... She stretched her right arm, trying to reach the mouth of her backpack, but like before it just out of reach. Why didn't she keep her Pokeballs on a belt like a normal trainer? Or in her pockets like Alain... She needed to stop thinking of Alain! She needed to focus on getting out of here!

Mairin looked down, focusing on the rocks trapping her. Perhaps she couldn't unwedge her arm, but if she could move one of the rocks... She scratched at the base of the rock, shifting some dirt away. She didn't think she could dug it up, but perhaps if she could move enough dirt so she could shift the rock and get free...

She started scraping at the ground, dirt getting caught in her fingernails as she dug. Within the a few minutes her fingertips started hurting from scraping away at the cold, hard ground. Dust clung to the drying blood on her hand from earlier, and her bruises ached as she moved her arm, but she on digging at what she believed to be her last hope.

* * *

"Zar..." A deep voice growled.

Alain shifted, a scowl forming as he felt a puff of warm breath on his face. He opened one eye- the forest around him was dark except for the gentle gray light in the east, a sign that dawn was on the way. Alain closed the eye, ignoring another blast of hot breath from Charizard.

"It's not even sunrise..." He muttered to the lizard, "Let me sleep..." Sleeping was the only time he could escape his thoughts and the guilt.

Charizard let out another growl, and Alain stiffened. He had so many sleepless nights- why couldn't she let him have this opportunity?! Who cared about getting a head start, it's not like he could drag Mairin out of bed at this time, he knew how heavy a sleeper she was. Besides, he was sure the police expected him to move around at night anyways. This would just throw them off...

"Zar..." Charizard growled again as Alain started to drift off, and she thumped Alain with the side of her tail. Alain let out a cry of pain, sitting straight up. He held his shoulder with one hand- right where her scaly tail had hit him, and Alain glared at the lizard. She looked just as angry, her silver eyes gleaming in the firelight of her tail, "Zarwah!" She snapped at him, seizing him by his aching shoulder and dragged him out of his sleeping bag.

"Hey!" Alain cried as Charizard dragged him across their small camp, then dropped him on Mairin's green sleeping bag. He grunted in pain, realizing how hard the ground was, even through the sleeping bag. He sat there for a moment, staring at the empty sleeping bag below, his eyes suddenly widening realization, "Oh no..." He whispered.

"Zar," Charizard agreed, snorting, and suddenly Alain felt wide awake. He leapt to his feet, looking around as if Mairin would be hanging about. Her shoes and backpack were gone, only her signature hat and sleeping bag left in the clearing.

"How stupid is she, nocturnal Pokemon are usually more aggressive..." He muttered, panic entering his tone. He whipped around to face Charizard, "Who was on watch last night?!" Alain snarled, "Who let her-" He paused as he noticed Charizard's cold glare, and she snorted again, smoke rising from her nostrils.

Alain saw the weary look in her eyes, hiding right behind the burning frustration. Biting his lip, Alain racked his brain from what had happened last night. Everything seemed like a blur- he had been so angry then that he could barely think. He had been angry at himself, for his inability to handle what he was doing. Angry at how he had treated Mairin. Angry at Charizard since she disagreed with what he was doing- even though he felt the same way.

Charizard let out a toothy yawn, her rage not fading. Alain shook slightly, turning away from his starter.

"...I forgot to put you away..." Alain whispered, "...And since I let no one else out you kept watch, didn't you...?" He glanced at Charizard, who gave a stiff nod, "...Even after all the flying you did the last few days," Alain shook his head, "You're a powerful Pokemon, but I've been treating you like a mount..."

"Zard," She grunted, sounding indifferent, but Alain knew that she missed the battles, missed the feel of mega evolving. Alain touched his keystone, clenching his jaw. He wondered if he'd even be able to trigger her mega evolution at the moment, with the way they had been treating each other.

"...I'm sorry Charizard..." Alain whispered, "These last few days, it's been eating me up from the inside... I know that's no excuse for how I've been treating you and Mairin though, but... but..." Alain closed his eyes, "...I'm scared Charizard, okay...? I'm scared of what I've been doing, scared that I'm going to mess up, scared that Mairin is going to get hurt," Alain lowered his head, "I- I just can stand the thought of her getting h-hurt and-"

"Zar," Charizard rumbled, placing her head on Alain's shoulder. Alain shifted his gaze, looking into her bright silver eyes. She still didn't look happy, but he no longer saw the bitterness in the lizard's eyes. Charizard glanced down at the sleeping bag, then looked at Alain.

"...You're right, let's go find Mairin," Alain whispered, "I'm sure she couldn't have gotten far..." Alain looked around, trying to see if he could find some sign of what direction she had gone in. He shook his head, "We just have to hope that she hasn't gotten herself in any trouble," Alain's lips twitched, knowing how unlikely that was. He grabbed his scarf, throwing it around his neck as he took off into the forest.

"Zarwah..." Charizard muttered, grabbing the sleeping bags and Alain's backpack as he ran off. Charizard took to the air, dropping Alain's jacket in front of him, before gliding above the trees. Alain looked up at her thankfully, slipping in on as a cold wind rushed through the woods. He wondered how long Charizard would last in the air, since she was clearly still exhausted, but he wasn't about to hurt her pride and return her now, not when they were starting to get along again.

"...I hope Mairin had enough sense to wear a jacket..." Alain muttered, her hat clutched in his hands as the first rays of dawn began to peek on the horizon.

* * *

Mairin opened her eyes as sunlight hit her face. Blinking, Mairin let out a yawn, attempting to stretch and sit up.

And that's how she got a painful reminder that she was still trapped.

"Ouch!" Mairin cried, wincing as she jerked her sore shoulder, which was still firmly wedged between two rocks. She laid back down on the rocky floor of the crevice, her whole body stiff and aching from her fall last night. Mairin groaned, wondering when in the night she had fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was trying to loosen the dirt around one of the rocks...

She looked down at the rock, heart sinking as she realized she had done little in the night. She had perhaps gotten an inch deep before the dirt had turned hard as stone, only having scraped away bits of sand with her fingernails. She looked down at her hand, which was covered in dust, and she flinched at the few specks of red.

She gently touched her scalp, but felt no more blood to her relief.

But that still didn't change the fact that she was still trapped down here. She closed her eyes, trying to stop more tears from flowing. She just felt so helpless... Mairin gritted her teeth, since it was now morning she was sure Alain was looking for her. She looked up at the top of the crevice, squinting her eyes in the sunlight shining down. She had to guess that it was later in the morning, since the sun was now able to reach her way down here.

She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do next. She had no way to get free, unless it was from an outside force. And the only person she knew that was in the area would be Alain, who was the last person she wanted to see, but... But Alain would be better than remaining trapped down here...

"H-hello...?" Mairin called out uncertainly. Her voice echoed slightly in the crevice, but it wasn't that loud. Mairin closed her eyes, forcing her to raise her voice, "Hello?"

Silence.

Mairin winced, she needed to take this seriously! "Help!" She cried, her voice carrying much farther this time, "I'm stuck!"

She stayed quiet for a moment, straining her ears for any reply, but she heard nothing.

"Someone, please help!" She cried again, "A-alain? Alain! Please- I'm sorry for running!" She flinched, knowing that was a lie. The only thing she felt sorry about was not looking where she had been walking, "Alain! I'm stuck, please help me!"

She could hear her voice echoing, both through the ditch and the forest, but she got no reply. She sat still for a minute, desperately hoping to hear something. Panic began settling in Mairin's mind, the thirst scratching at her throat and the hunger in her stomach only bringing worse case scenarios to her mind.

She was going to be stuck down in this stupid hole for the rest of her life, slowly dying from dehydration... Or perhaps it would rain, making it last until the much longer so starvation would claimed her... Or maybe the rain would fill up with ditch with water, and she would instead drown...

"Alain! Please!" She screamed, thrashing against the rocks. Her body ached with pain, and she couldn't even feel her trapped limb, but she didn't care, "I'll do whatever you want!" She cried, "I won't run again! Please help me!" Tears were falling down her face, "Don't leave me here, _please!"_

What about Chespie and Bébé'? Would they be stuck here too? She knew a Pokemon was in suspended animation while in a Pokeball- meaning that hunger nor time would claim them. Would they one day be released, only to find her body lying here? Would her death be considered another murder for Alain's record? That wouldn't be fair, no matter what he had done- he hadn't done anything to hurt her-

Why was she even concerned for Alain?!

Tears were falling down Mairin's face as she continued struggling, " _Please!"_

"Arf!"

Mairin paused mid sob, looking up. Perched at the top of the crevice was a large black, canine Pokemon looking down at her. Mairin blinked, and the Mightyena blinked as well. It sniffed the air, as if trying to catch her scent.

"Can you help me?!" Mairin asked desperately, the words escaping from her lips. The Pokemon tilted its head, watching her for a moment longer. Finally it turned, running away from the ditch, "Wait!" Mairin cried, but the Mightyena was already gone from her sight, "Please..."

Mairin shivered, grateful as the sun climbed higher, warming her, but yet she couldn't bring herself to stop shivering, her heart racing in her chest. She blinked, what was wrong with her? Yes, she was terrified, but yet that didn't seem to justify the dizziness she was starting to feel...

Mairin closed her eyes again, wondering if it would be worth it to call for help again. Her throat was sore from shouting and her thirst, and so far no one had come to help her. Even local Pokemon seemed to just run off without consideration... She wrapped her arms around herself, still shivering like she was out in the snow. Huffing, Mairin braced her good arm against the ground, lifting herself up as much as she could, attempting to let blood freely flow to her trapped arm like before. After a minute her wrist started aching, arm twitching, and she was forced to lay back down.

She was still crying, even though she knew she shouldn't be, she was thirsty as it was, she didn't need to lose more water. But she couldn't stop crying, hunched over, heart thumping, fear racing through her.

Mairin froze as she heard footsteps. Her eyes popped open, and she craned her head up- it sounded human. She didn't even care if it was Alain- she just needed to get out of here!

"H-hello?" She called up, and the footsteps stopped for a moment, then picked up again.

A pair of violet eyes peered over the edge, and Mairin felt her hopes rising as she looked up at the woman. The blonde blinked, "What are you doing down there?" She asked.

"I f-fell," Mairin whispered, "And I'm stuck, a-and I can't get out... Everything hurts a-and..." More tears stung her eyes, "A-and I was k-kidnapped and I w-was running and I'm a-afraid he's still in the area and p-please I j-just need help, p-please..." Mairin's panicked settled in, her words trailing off into mutterings.

The girl blinked again, and a two shapes ran up next to her. The first one was the same Mightyena she had seen earlier, and Mairin realized that it hadn't left her- it had brought this woman here. The second Pokemon took Mairin a moment longer to recognize, since it wasn't native to Kalos. The Raticate squeaked, crawling up onto the woman's shoulder.

The girl stepped out of sight for a moment, calling out into the forest, "Hey! Biff! Get over here- your Mightyena found the girl!"

"It's Butch, not Biff!" A harsh voice replied, and Mairin thought the voices sounded slightly familiar. Within a minute she saw the second voice, a tealed hair man- both him and the woman looking down at Mairin.

"Y-you two!" Mairin said, eyes widening, "You guys w-were the ones that battled A-alain when he k-kidnapped me!"

The woman nodded, "Yes, that was us. My name is Cassidy," She glanced at Butch for a moment, then looked down at Mairin, "...I guess you can call us agents. We're on an assignment to go after Alain," She gave Mairin a grin of a smile, "So why don't we get you out of there sweetie, and then you can tell us where your... kidnapper is."

Mairin gave a short nod, hope welling up in her. She was going to be okay. She was going to get out of here. These people were going to stop Alain.

But why did that thought make her feel so... empty?


	7. Chapter 7 - The Past

**Sorry for the late update!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven - The Past**

 _Knock knock._

Professor Sycamore looked up from the files currently spread out in front of him as the knocks echoed through the lab. Sycamore sat there for a moment, blinking as he tried to gather his thoughts he had just been pulled from. The last week had been nothing but a roller coaster for the professor, either finding himself buried in his studies, or unable to focus at all. He shook his head, rubbing his temples.

"Sophie, could you get that?" Professor Sycamore called once his mind had registered that someone was at the door of the lab.

"Of course, Professor," Sophie called from the next room, and Sycamore shook his head, what was wrong with him? Moments ago he had been absorbed in his latest notes of mega evolution, but now his mind was a blank slate, barely even aware of what had just happened.

"Gar," Garchomp rumbled, pressing her head against Sycamore, snapping him from his thoughts as he started to drift off into his mind once more. The professor flinched, causing the dragon type to tilt her head, and he let out a small laugh.

"Sorry Garchomp," He said, giving her a small smile. He patted her on the snout, "I've just been having a hard time focusing lately..." He chuckled, "Either that or I'm so engrossed that I'm not aware of what's going on..."

"Professor?" Professor Sycamore looked up as Sophie entered the room, "The door is for you, sir."

"Is there any way I could speak to them another time?" Professor Sycamore asked quietly.

Sophie glanced away, "It's an International Police agent, sir, that's someone whom I just can't turn away."

"...Ah..." Sycamore muttered, sitting up a bit straighter, "Same agent as last time? Suppose they have a few more questions for me..." He grinned at Garchomp, "And here I thought I was free from all this questioning."

Sophie shook her head, "I've never seen this agent before, sir, but they seemed impatient."

Sycamore pushed himself away from his desk, "Then I suppose I should go greet him, come along Garchomp," The professor said, standing. The dragon trailed after him, and Professor Sycamore slid past Sophie, neither of them making eye contact, but both making sure they didn't touch each other. Garchomp tilted her head, confused, but said nothing as she followed the professor through the lab.

They reached the main entrance of the lab, the professor straightening his lab jacket as he entered. The professor looked up, only to find himself being stared down by a huge, towering Pangoro.

"Pan..." The panda Pokemon growled, and the professor stumbled back.

"Hello, Augustine Sycamore, correct?" A voice said, sounding slightly humored as the professor stared up at the Pangoro. Sycamore turned, finding a woman with dark brown curls looking at him. She had a pair of bright violet eyes that seemed to glare right through the professor.

"Y-yes," Professor Sycamore stuttered out, "And y-you're-?"

She held up a badge, "Agent Speaker, of the International Police. I'm sorry if my Pangoro startled you, I prefer to have him out when I'm working on cases."

"It's just fine," Professor Sycamore said, starting to compose himself, "I've just been... on edge lately, with everything that's happening..." He glanced at the agent, "I assume you're here for the same reason the last agent was?"

Agent Speaker smiled, "Agent Heeler, whom you worked with previously, is my partner. They were recalled to Johto to work on another case, so I am taking over the case involving your former lab assistant, Alain," Speaker slipped her badge away into her pocket, "Is there anywhere we may speak? I am trying to get acquainted with all of the evidence and data currently behind a case, along with getting to know everyone involved."

Professor Sycamore knew that she wasn't just requesting to talk- as an International Police agent she held much more power than he would ever have- any request was to be taken as an order, "I'm assuming you want to talk in private- then my office should work, I'm sure that neither Sophie nor Cosette will interrupt us."

"That will be just fine, thank you," Agent Speaker said.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Sycamore asked as he lead the International Police agent through the lab.

"No thank you," She replied, and they walked on in silence.

"Here we are," Professor Sycamore muttered as they reached his office, "Garchomp, why don't you go help out Sophie while I speak with our guest," The dragon glanced at her trainer, before nodding, heading down the hallway. The massive Pangoro, who was never more than a few steps behind Speaker, relaxed as Garchomp left, and turned his gaze back onto the professor, "Sorry if it's a bit messy."

Speaker said nothing, simply entering the office, sitting down in the chair in front of Sycamore's desk, waiting for him to take his seat. Professor Sycamore tried to ignore the way his palms were sweating- he hadn't done anything wrong. She was just going to ask a few questions... He shut the door behind him, sitting behind his desk, looking up at the agent expectantly.

"You knew everyone that was involved with this case, Correct? Dexio, Alain, and Mairin?" Agent Speaker began.

"Yes. Dexio was an old assistant of mine, usually working outside the region along side his partner Sina," Professor Sycamore replied, the words feeling almost memorized at this point- he had been asked about them so many times now, "Alain has been a lab assistant of mine on and off for the last eight years. Mairin was a close friend of Alain's, and often visited my lab after I gave her a starter. She never officially worked for me, but has assisted me from time to time."

Speaker nodded, making it quite clear that she already knew this, asking more out of formality than necessity, "As I said earlier, I like to know a bit about the people I'm working with when it comes to my cases, take a look at their history and such. While I know you have no direct connection to the events that took place, you are quite familiar with everyone involved. I hope you take no offence with the knowledge that you have been looked into as a suspect for the case."

"I am not surprised," Sycamore replied, "With so many connections it was to be expected."

"We also see you at risk for being targeted yourself though," Speaker continued, sitting up, "I assume Heeler warned you to be cautious while Alain is still remains free?"

"He did," Professor Sycamore said simply, though he hadn't heeded the advice. No matter what the International Police thought, no matter what they believed- Sycamore knew that Alain wouldn't hurt him.

"Alain came to work for you at age ten, correct?" Speaker asked, watching the professor.

"Correct, at that age he was old enough to get his first Pokemon. When he came to my lab he said he had no interest in traveling, but needed somewhere to go. He asked if there was any way he could work in my lab," Professor Sycamore smiled at the old memory, "He said he was willing to do anything, even if it was just cleaning. Of course I couldn't hire him to do manual labor job like that, there are laws against it for someone that young. I asked him why he was so desperate, and he just said he liked to be near Pokemon," The professor looked down at his hands, "So I hired him as an assistant in the lab. Despite his lack of background in the topic he learned quickly and worked hard."

"And you gave him a Charmander instead of the normal choice of Kalos starters," Speaker said, "Was it because he was working as an assistant for you... or was there another reason?"

Professor Sycamore glanced at the agent, seeing this as a strange question. Sure, it wasn't common for a professor to give out other Pokemon besides official starters for that region, but it wasn't unheard of either- and it was perfectly legal. Often times parents provided kids with their first Pokemon instead of getting a lab raised one, which lead to a majority of trainers _not_ having an offical starter.

"Yes, I suppose there was another reason," Sycamore finally said with a shrug, "Alain was always so distant as a kid, quiet and on edge, jumped at the smallest of things. I wanted to help him come out of that shell, which is why I offered him a unique starter. At least unique for here in Kalos," The professor leaned back, "It wasn't until he was thirteen that he officially started his journey, and that's when he met Lysandre..." He shook his head, "I then lost contact with him during that time, and the next thing I know I see him at the Kalos league- fourteen years old with a team that rivals that of an Elite Four!" Sycamore glanced at Speaker, "And I'm sure you know what happened after that- with Team Flare and all. Alain came to work for me again , focusing more on field work so he could travel with Mairin... Though she took a break to recover from the trauma of what happened," Professor Sycamore's mouth twitched, "And a few months ago Alain came to me, requesting some time off to do more training... then we know what's happened from there," Sycamore finished quietly, looking away.

Speaker glanced at her Pangoro, then back at the professor, "Before he requested this time off- did Alain act strange at all? Say anything out of the ordinary?"

Sycamore shook his head, "I'm afraid not. I was a bit worried, he was acting distant again, but that was normal. That's how he was when I first met him, and he always slipped into phases like that. Where he was almost afraid to be near to people, to open up to them," The professor looked straight at Speaker, "But one thing he _always_ did was protect those he loved."

"...Have you spoken with Alain since his disappearance after the murder?" Speaker asked.

"The last time I spoke with Alain was a week before Dexio died," Professor Sycamore said evenly. Speaker watched him for a moment, as if about to challenge him, but said nothing. The professor relaxed slightly, thinking of the message Alain had sent him before Mairin's kidnapping. But he hadn't lied, since a message had nothing to do with _talking._

Speaker studied Sycamore for a moment, "Did Alain ever talk about his childhood with you?" She asked quietly.

"No. That was one topic he made clear to avoid, and I never pressed him," He replied.

Speaker sat up at bit, "Well, then I'm afraid you then don't truly know anything about Alain," She said, "Fortunately for you I know his story, and it helps explain many of his actions. There was a reason he was so desperate to get a job from you when you met him, he _needed_ it, he had no money or family to support him on a journey."

Sycamore shifted, "He was an orphan?"

"Alain was taken from his father's custody at age eight," Speaker replied, "He spent two years in foster homes until he turned ten and was old enough to travel, which is when he met you," Speaker gave Sycamore a dry smile, "When Alain was born his birth parents didn't want him- so a young couple who was unable to have kids of their own adopted him. Alain was raised in this household until he was four, when his adoptive mother died," Speaker looked down at her hands, "His adoptive father turned to alcohol to cope, spent most of his waking hours drunk. He turned cold and bitter, and he took his rage out on Alain."

Professor Sycamore flinched.

"I will spare you of the grim details. But for four years no one knew of the abuse the child went through. He lived trapped in this life until he was eight- where his adoptive father was finally arrested for child abuse and Alain was removed from his custody," Speaker looked up at Sycamore, "No one these days seeks out an eight year old to adopt, so Alain spent two years in foster care until he could travel- then came to you."

Professor Sycamore was staring down at his hands shakily, "...What happened to his father- to that _man_?" He whispered, "Was he ever...?"

"Was he ever released?" Speaker asked, "I'm afraid he never got the opportunity- he died of liver failure several years ago in prison. Alain was informed of this, but requested to have no ties to him, even with his funeral."

Professor Sycamore looked up at the International Police agent, "...That could explain so much..." He mused, "He's always been so protective of others, he probably never wanted anyone to go through the pain he went through..."

"Perhaps," Speaker replied, leaning forwards slightly, "But that is enough discussion about Alain's past," She narrowed her gaze, "I wish to talk about yours now, Professor."

Professor Sycamore shifted, "Mine?"

"Yes. While looking through your file I couldn't help but notice that someone attempted to press charges against you years ago, they wanted you out of your position as an official league professor."

"...Yes..." Sycamore said quietly, "The courts didn't side with them, so the charges were dropped. Nothing more."

"Are you willing to tell me the circumstances of why they thought you shouldn't be a professor?" Speaker asked, and Sycamore snorted.

"I'm sure with your job that you were able to access full details of the case and circumstances," Sycamore said, "But if you wish for me to explain I suppose I have no choice but to agree. The charges were pressed by the university here in Lumiose- a university that also sent interns to work at my labs," Professor Sycamore glanced at the door, "And Sophie was once one of those interns."

"Please continue," Speaker said as the professor fell silent.

"...Well... Sophie and I did try to keep our relationship professional... but it simply did not work out that way. We started dating privately, during her intern hours here I was nothing but than a higher up in the lab," Professor Sycamore went quiet again, "There was no issues with the university with our relationship until Sophie... became pregnant," Professor Sycamore whispered.

"Which is the university claimed you were just taking advantage the interns they sent to your lab," Speaker finished.

"Correct," Sycamore said dryly, "The lab and the university has had several little disagreements in the past, and I suppose they saw this as an opportunity and jumped on it. But like I said earlier, their case to try to strip me as the league professor didn't go well. Sophie was an adult and was about to graduate- the labs had already hired her at this point. She spoke against her university, she was in the relationship was completely willingly and that they had no right to interfere with her personal life. They backed down pretty quickly after that."

"And what happened to the child?" Speaker asked.

Professor Sycamore looked away, jaw tensing, "...We did consider keeping him, but we figured our child deserved a better home. To be raised with married parents where one could be at home with him- not two that were stuck in labs all day. We gave him up..." Professor Sycamore's mouth was dry.

"No issues after that?"

"...Me and Sophie decided to quit dating for a time..." Sycamore whispered, "Just until the media and the university settled down..." The professor looked away, "...We never did get back together... we've never said a word about it either since. We just work together now. We're just friends. We just act like nothing ever happened," Sycamore chuckled bitterly, "It hurts, to be honest," He looked up at the agent, "But I suppose that's not what you came to hear. You're an agent, not a therapist."

Speaker smiled, "To be honest I would be a therapist if I could, but being an agent is a life time commitment," She tilted her head, "Have you ever wondered what happened to your child? Your files said you requested to have no contact or ties to him."

"Of course I've wondered," Sycamore said quietly, "But we requested that for a reason... This child wasn't going to be apart of our lives, he didn't need a past to drag into his new life."

"...I've never understood why people think knowledge would be a burden," Speaker mused, "Because not knowing has always been the true struggle for me..." She shook her head, then looked up at Professor Sycamore, "...I could tell you what happened to your child."

Professor Sycamore took in these words quietly. He looked up at the agent, studying her as he considered the offer. He desperately wanted to know more, but he held his tongue- it wasn't his place to know, because this wasn't his child anymore. Sycamore closed his eyes, then settled for a few simple questions, "...Did he have a good home?" He finally asked, "And was he loved?"

Speaker closed her eyes, "He was adopted by loving parents, they were very happy, they couldn't have children of their own you see."

Sycamore nodded, "T-that's good."

Her eyes opened, focused right on Professor Sycamore, "His adoptive mother died when he was four however," Speaker said slowly, and the professor paused, frowning, "His father fell into a depression and started drinking, and the drinking lead him to be consumed in his rage," Speaker was quiet for a moment, "The child was abused by his adoptive father, left living with this shell of a human until he was eight... and once your child turned ten he sought out a job, a way to support himself after being left with nothing..." Speaker went quiet as she watched Sycamore start to shake, "...I would finish the story, but I believe you're able to tell it better than I would, Professor."

Professor Sycamore looked up at the agent, quivering. His face had gone pale, eyes wide and distant, "A-are you saying t-that...? T-that A-alain is-?"

"Am I saying that Alain is the son you gave up for adoption?" Speaker asked, "Yes, I am."

* * *

 ** _I promise Alain and Mairin will be in the next chapter!_ Originally they were going to be in this one, but Professor Sycamore's POV turned out longer than I expected...**

 **I've always felt that Alain and Professor Sycamore could be father and son (honestly I was hoping they'd confirm that as canon when XY &Z was airing, but sadly no...), I mean, they even look so much alike! In the end I decided to go with this set up in the story, with them not knowing they were they were related to each other.**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8 - The Enemy

**Chapter Eight - The Enemy**

"Cassidy," Butch muttered quietly, his gaze flickering towards Mairin, "We have no time to be playing games, let's just get the girl taken care of and move on with the mission!"

Cassidy rolled her eyes, giving Mairin a sweet smile, "Just ignore Hutch over there, honey, he's just impatient to get this mission over with."

"It's Butch, not Hutch!" Butch snapped at his partner.

Mairin gave Cassidy small nod, wrapping her arms around herself. Despite the sun being high above them, warming the sparse forest, Mairin couldn't stop shivering. It was as if the cold wind from the night was still rushing by her. Mairin didn't offer any complaints however, because clearly her rescuers had enough on their hands anyways.

Mairin tore her gaze away from Cassidy, her favorite of the duo, and looked at Butch. She didn't want to think negatively about the people that had saved her... but she just didn't like Butch. From his voice to his attitude, Mairin only stiffened up when he spoke. He'd throw her disgusted looks, as if her mere presence was an insult, and it only made Mairin wary of him. True, it had been Butch's Primeape who had freed her from the ditch- shattering the rocks that had trapped her shoulder with a single Dynamic Punch, and then helping her climb up to safety... he had helped her. That was enough reason to trust him, right?

Then again Alain had helped her many times in the past...

She shook her head, trying to free her mind from thoughts of Alain. He kept popping into her head, as if her brain couldn't let go of him. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on anything but Alain. She had escaped, she never had to worry about him again... These people were going to stop him...

Her whole body had hurt after spending the night down in the crevice- sore from being trapped in one position for hours on end. Her body was bruised from her fall, she had a scabbing gash on her head, and she hadn't been able to feel her shoulder when she first got released. For several minutes she had sat there in a panic, not responding to Cassidy as she fell into a slight shock, afraid that her arm had died from the lack of blood. Her whole limb had hung limply at her side, but soon after she had felt a rush of pain in her arm.

It had felt like hundreds of needles had been trying to escape from her arm, digging under her skin as feeling started to return to the limb. She hadn't dared to shift it, a rushing pain had skittered through her bruised arm at the slightest of movements. Despite the pain, Mairin had tried to remind herself that it was a good thing- it meant her arm would recover.

Mairin looked down at the arm now, flexing it slightly. It was doing much better, though it still tingled when she moved it. Mairin's teeth chattered together- her unnatural shivers were the only thing that hadn't been doing better so far, her whole body acted like it had been dumped in a winter wasteland.

"Chespin ches!" Chespie cried happily, leaping up onto Mairin's shoulder. She gave the small grass type a smile. She had let her starter out the moment she had the opportunity, simply relieved that her Pokemon were no longer in danger because of her. That _she_ was no longer in danger.

Yet she still felt the pressing weight of urgency... Like she needed to get out of here...

She was sure that was nothing but leftover stress from being kidnapped by Alain. Of course she still felt like she was in danger... Of course her instincts were still telling her to run...

"Are you guys with the International Police?" Mairin asked as she turned her attention back towards her rescuers, still shivering as she broke the silence.

Cassidy and Butch glanced at each other, then burst out laughing.

"No deary, we are not," Cassidy said, chuckling dying down after a moment. She her gaze turned towards her Raticate, who kept skittering in and out of the small camp. Mairin guessed that it was keeping watch for any danger. Cassidy's eyes gleamed humorously, "While we are 'agents', we prefer to keep our distance from the International Police."

"Though we do have a few allies within the International Police," Butch added with a smirk, crunching into a Chesto berry he had plucked from his bag. Cassidy smiled at this, as if they had just shared a joke.

"Now sweetie," Cassidy said, turning to face Mairin, "Is there anything you can tell us about Alain? Has he said anything to you? Told you were he was headed? Anything?"

Mairin plucked Chespie off of her shoulder, hugging him tightly. As nice as Cassidy seemed to be, there was a desperation in her eyes as she spoke. Mairin had to guess that they hadn't had much luck with finding Alain- they had seemed to be searching the forest for him when they had found her. The way they were watching her right now made it quite clear that she was their only lead at the moment. Mairin bit her lower lip, trying to think.

"Um... u-um... He didn't really talk to me much, j-just told me what to do and stuff... I d-did ask him what he wanted with me, and..." Mairin looked away, trying not to flinch at the memory, "He acted like he was protecting me, then got v-very angry afterwards. He wasn't even treating his Pokemon like he normally did," Mairin hesitated, looking at Cassidy, "I think he may not be fully there... mentally, you know?"

"Hmm," She said, lips pressed into a tight smile. She didn't seem satisfied with the answer, "Nothing else, sweetheart?"

Mairin closed her eyes, racking her brain. She wanted to be able to give _something_ to these people, they had saved her after all, "...I... I think he's in contact with someone," Mairin whispered after a moment of thought.

 _That_ caught the two agents' attention, the duo quickly sitting up and glancing at each other with wide eyes, "What do you mean?!" Butch demanded, "Who? What are they planning?!"

Mairin flinched, "I- I d-don't know... But Alain has a H-holo Caster, an older one with him..." Mairin shakely explained, "He keeps- kept it hidden f-from me, but sometimes I'd wake up in the n-night and see him using it. Like he was sending m-messages to someone. I n-never asked him about it because I don't think he wanted m-me to see it..."

"So they were right..." Cassidy mused quietly, turning away from Mairin, "He does have an ally of some kind..."

"If that's how he got away then it has to be someone on the inside," Butch growled, "Someone that dropped him a warning. Probably told him about the girl too!"

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Mairin asked quietly, hugging Chespie closer. The two agents stared at her, as if they had forgotten she was there.

"Nothing for you to worry about, sweetie," Cassidy said in a soothing tone, "But if he is in contact with someone then it explains quite a lot about his actions. You just need to rest for now- we'll take care of everything."

"'Rest'?!" Butch cried, "We should just-!" Cassidy cut him off with a glare.

"Are you going after Alain?" Mairin asked quietly as Cassidy had her lean back against a tree. The blonde smiled down on the girl.

"That's our job," She replied, "What you told us earlier about where he kept you will hopefully be enough to help us track him from here."

"But his Pokemon!" Mairin cried, sitting up, "They're stronger than yours! He's won the Kalos League- beaten an Elite Four member! You can't put your Pokemon at risk!"

Cassidy still had that smile on her face, "It's kind of cute with how concerned you are," She chuckled, standing up. She held up a glossy black Pokeball, "But we have that covered, deary- the Boss sent us a Pokemon powerful enough to handle his," She slipped the Pokeball onto her belt, "And of course we have you..." Mairin gave her a confused glance, and Cassidy just shook her head, "Now you just stay here, alright honey? Don't move, and if you remember anything important let us know right away. Okay?"

Mairin nodded, leaning back against the tree. Their camp wasn't any more impressive than Alain's had been, but she figured they were on the move a lot as well if they've been trying to track Alain. They were in a more dense part of the forest, the trees were fuller with brighter leaves. The clearing they were in was much larger than the one Alain had them camp in, but was angled on a slight incline, the soil rough and rocky.

Chespie snuggled up against Mairin, savoring the relief of freedom. Mairin patted the Chespin's head, and her stomach rumbled hungrily, but she didn't have the heart to ask for anything to eat. They hadn't offered her any food, and she didn't want to press her welcome. They clearly had a lot to do, and Butch made it quite clear she was a burden. And no matter how much Cassidy smiled, at least some of it was forced. There was an icy edge through the camp, one that made Mairin afraid to embrace her freedom.

Mairin glanced around, sitting up a bit. Cassidy and Butch were a ways off, talking urgently to each other in hushed tones. They were clearly arguing, Butch jerking his head in her direction every now and then. Mairin quickly turned away, tears stinging her face- she hated the feeling of not being wanted. She hated it when people pushed her away, and here she was simply burdening the people who had saved her. Apparently the information she had given them about Alain wasn't enough.

She cradled Chespie close to her, remembering the day she had first gotten him. She had chosen him because of the smile that had been on his face- the happiest of the three starters she had been offered... Besides, she just loved the color green. The Pokemon had stayed by her side no matter what, embracing her jolly and sometimes forceful attitude. Mairin had no interest in battling, simply wanting to travel and connect with the world.

Then she had met Alain- quiet and only seeking strength. He had been her opposite, but there was just something about him that she couldn't walk away from. Sure- mega evolution had amazed her- but when she first looked at Alain... she had saw someone that was alone.

Someone just like her.

Mairin sighed, closing her eyes as she once more found her thoughts turning towards Alain. A small yawn escaped her mouth, which made Chepsie yawn in turn. She was exhausted from the events of the last few days. Whether her rescuers liked her or not, at least she was safe.

* * *

Charizard landed in front of Alain, her wings drooping in exhaustion. The lizard raised her head, looking towards her trainer, shaking her head sadly. Alain looked away, trying to calm his mounting panic. It was high noon, and they hadn't even caught a glimpse of Mairin. He kept his face expressionless though, not making eye contact with Charizard as they went onwards in silence.

Charizard had to keep ducking to keep her head from hitting the lower branches of the forest as they made their way through the woods. They had searched the areas surrounding the clearing they had camped at- Alain had been sure that Mairin couldn't have gotten far due to the chill of last night, but their searches so far had brought up nothing. He currently had Unfezant searching the skies and Weavile searching the forest in a wide berth around them, while he and Charizard stuck close together. One clammy hand was wrapped tight around Mairin's hat, while his other one slipped into his pocket.

Alain's fingers wrapped around a shrunken Pokeball, expanding it while it remained in his pocket. Keep the sphere in his hands, he brought it out of his pocket, thumb twitching uncertainly. He didn't even look at Charizard as a branch got snagged on one of her horns. He simply raised the Pokeball towards her as she pulled herself free, snorting unhappily.

"Charizard, return."

Charizard stiffened as Alain said this, quickly wheeling around to face her trainer just in time for the return beam to hit her. Alain's stomach tightened as he watched a look of outrage appear over the lizard's face as she was turned a burst of red energy. She managed to take one step forward until she was forcefully recalled into her Pokeball, which snapped shut. The sphere shook once in Alain's grip as he looked down at it.

"...Sorry..." Alain muttered, before stuffing the sphere away into his pocket. He knew that he would have to deal with an angry Charizard later, but he just couldn't stand to see his starter push herself this far. She wasn't even injured, but her entire frame had been shaking from exhaustion. Alain wasn't quite sure how much sleep she had gotten last night, but he knew that searching for Mairin was simply too much for her. She was his strongest Pokemon- but that meant nothing if she didn't even get a moment of sleep.

Alain jerked his thoughts away from Charizard, staring down at the ground. His heart raced as he spotted several sets of small footprints in the earth. He knelt down, examining the prints, and excitement raced through him... yes, these had to be Mairin's. While not fresh, they were recent. The ground in this part of the forest was much softer than the clearing they had stopped in, leaving clear indents in the ground. His eyes flickered in the directions the prints had been heading, and he stood up, following the path. He didn't go far until he felt his stomach tighten, staring at the crevice that was up ahead.

"Mairin!" Alain cried, scrambling forward. The imprints of her shoes lead straight to the edge of the crevice, where they soon crowded and blurred together. It didn't take an expert to know what had happened- she must have fallen in.

Alain carefully approached the edge, looking into the crevice- to both his relief and disappointment he didn't see Mairin at the bottom of the rocky ditch. He sighed, perhaps Chespie had grabbed her with a Vine Whip before she had fallen in... while only about six feet down, those rocks at the bottom didn't look like they'd be forgiving. Alain was about to go look for any other signs of Mairin around the crevice, but something made him stop.

Shaking, Alain turned his gaze back into the crevice, a small scrap of green cloth was laying at the bottom. He carefully lowered himself down into the ditch, fingers trembling as he picked up the cloth. In reality it could have been from anything, but Alain had seen this shade of green so many times that he knew where it had come from. His fingers clenched around the cloth- it was from Mairin's poncho that she always wore. His stomach twisted unhappily- Mairin had been down in here. She had fallen in.

He looked around more carefully, his fingers brushing against some fractured remains of a rock- clearly not naturally caused. He brushed it aside, looking for anything else that give him a hint of what had happened here. But nothing but the cloth yielded any clear sign that Mairin had been down in here. Alain closed his eyes, gritting his teeth- he didn't need to know what had happened- just where Mairin had gone from here. He stood up, climbing up the rocky side of the ditch, pulling himself over the ledge. He sat down for a moment, looking for any sign of where Mairin could have gone.

He paused, eyes soon picking out several more sets of footsteps... but those weren't Mairin's. Alain stiffened, eyes narrowed as he examined the ground. These were very recent... there were several prints of Pokemon as well. His heart started hammering in his chest, and he tried to tell himself to stay calm... These could be anyone's prints... Hopefully anyone but Rocket's...

"Fez!"

Alain jumped as he was pulled out of his thoughts. His Unfezant swooped down from the trees, landing on Alain's shoulder. He looked at the flying type, who was watching him with an intense gaze. His feathers were ruffled up, talons digging into Alain's shoulder nervously.

"D-did you find her?" He asked quietly.

"Zant!" He confirmed, bobbing his head. He pecked lightly at Alain's ear, as if trying to tell him more.

"...She's not alone..." Alain muttered, thinking of the footsteps, and Unfezant nodded as Alain guessed correctly. His stomach tightened, "...Please tell me it's not Rocket."

"Unfez..." Unfezant looked away, quivering slightly. That was all Alain needed to see, and he leapt to his feet.

"Take me to her, now!" He snapped, his hands starting to sweat. Unfezant quickly took to the air, gliding above the forest, his panicked trainer closely following behind.

 _She's going to be okay._ Alain told himself as he ran after his Unfezant. _She's alive, Unfezant would have said something if she wasn't... She's going to be okay..._

* * *

Alain wasn't quite sure how long it had taken him and Unfezant to reach the camping grounds of the two Rocket members, but it honestly felt like hours to Alain. Every step he took was torment, the worst possibilities slowly crawling into his mind as he made his way through the forest. He couldn't hear anything, only the own thumping of his heart and the raging thoughts in his head.

 _This is my fault..._ Guilt stabbed at him like a knife. _If I would have never gotten angry someone would have been on watch... She would be safe... She wouldn't be with Team Rocket..._

"Vile," A voice grunted next to Alain, and chills ran through him. He nearly cried out, but was glad he didn't as his eyes fell on a black sleek shape. His Weavile raised a claw to her lips, glancing towards the clearing up ahead. Unfezant swooped down, landing on a nearby branch. He glared in the same direction as Weavile, and Alain felt his stomach tightening.

Alain took a few cautious steps forward, guessing that this was where Mairin was... and Team Rocket. He chose each step with care, slowly making his way to the edge of the clearing. His hands sweated as he tried to make as little noise as possible, not wanting to give himself away so soon. Weavile moved silently next to him, claws leaving small imprints in the ground as she advanced on all fours.

Alain's icy blue eyes narrowed as he scanned the clearing before him. It was quite clear that Rocket hadn't been here for long- there were no tents or anything that gave a sign of them having stayed here long term. There were only a few bags dumped under a tree, a Mightyena sleeping on top of them. Alain stiffened as he recognized the creature, the same one that had attacked them when he had first found Mairin.

He quickly tore his gaze away from the Pokemon, eyes settling on the Rocket members themself. The teal-haired man was talking urgently to the blonde woman, his words barely audible to Alain.

"The girl told us as much as she could!" He hissed, "I don't see why you're keeping her alive- just kill her so we can go after the other one! Cassidy, we have no more use for her."

The blonde rolled her eyes, "This is why I was chosen to lead the mission- you don't see opportunity when it comes knocking. We still have plenty of use for her- and do you just want to kill her right here?" Alain stiffened as she spoke, "We'd then have to dispose properly of the body, or set it up to make it look like the boy did it. Killing her now would just set us up for failure, Butch!"

"It's not Butch, it's-" Butch paused, "W-wait, did you just-?"

Alain could hear blood roaring in his ears. Their words were drowned out by the hammering of his own heart. It took every inch of Alain's willpower to keep himself from bursting out of the forest and confronting the two Team Rocket members. His fingers were digging into his palms, his whole frame trembling in rage. He forced himself to take a shakily breath, then looked past the Team Rocket members, looking for Mairin.

She was leaning up against a tree, eyes closed and Chespie nestled into her arms. Alain let out a sigh of relief when he saw no visible wounds on her- they seemed to be acting as if they were on her side. Mairin shifted, her form shivering slightly, making Alain frown- it was a warm day. Perhaps she was afraid of Team Rocket?

More likely she was afraid of him.

Alain jerked his head to the side at the thought, forcing himself to look away from her. There was no way he could get her back without confronting Team Rocket. He may be outnumbered, but he knew that his team was stronger than theirs. Besides, he had the element of surprise on his side.

Alain looked up at Unfezant, who was perched above him, and gave a short hand signal. The bird Pokemon got the message, his gray wings unfurling. Unfezant glided into the clearing, circling over head as he prepared to attack. The two Rocket's didn't notice him right off, but Chespie on the other hand did. The small Chespin sat up, eyes narrowed as he saw the Unfezant. Alain twitched as he watched Chespie urgently tap Mairin with his small arms. She blinked slowly, looking up towards where Chespie was pointing.

Weavile tensed next to Alain, watching and Mairin quickly sat up, her eyes widening. She stared up at Unfezant for a moment, fear entering her amber eyes. She turned her gaze towards the two Rocket members, mouth opening.

Alain never let her get the chance to speak. Instead he sprang to his feet, running into the clearing with Weavile at his heels, "Steel Wing!" Alain cried, and Unfezant dove down, feathers turning to metal.

Cassidy and Butch wheeled around, faces paling as they saw a very angry Alain charging towards them. Butch's napping Mightyena raised his head at the commotion, blinking in confusion. After a moment a deep snarl formed on the canine's face- leaping to his feet as he rushed to meet the Unfezant. The bird's eyes narrowed, and turned to face the Pokemon he had battled once before, the Steel Wing slashing the Mightyena across the side.

The Mightyena let out a howl of pain, teeth gleaming with a dark energy as he turned, trying to sink a Crunch into Unfezant. The bird became outlined in a silvery light, dodging the attack with a Quick Attack. Butch was starting to recover from the shock, quickly fumbling for a Pokeball.

"Shuckle, use Sludge Bomb on that Weavile!" Butch cried, and Cassidy slowly took a few steps back. Alain's gaze remained focused on the battle however.

"Freeze it with an Ice Beam!" Alain ordered, and Weavile sprang into the air, frozen energy slowly forming in front of her mouth. She launched the Ice Beam just as the Sludge Bomb was launched. The icy energy collided with the purple Sludge Bomb, freezing the glops of poison mid air. They fell to the ground, allowing Weavile to charge at Shuckle, "Night Slash!"

The Shuckle quickly used Withdraw, hiding within his shell as Weavile's glowing claws ran down it's shell. The ice type didn't break pace, and jumped onto the Shuckle, launching an Ice Beam straight into it's shell. The Shuckle let out a cried, which caused Weavile to smirk as she jumped back.

Unfezant crashed into Mightyena with a blinding Sky Attack, sending the Mightyena flying back. He slammed into a tree, groaning as it struggled to it's feet. Unfezant let out a victorious cry, rising up into the air. Mightyena narrowed his eyes, watching Unfezant with bitterness. The Pokemon opened it's mouth, a harsh orange glow forming within. Unfezant cawed nervously, releasing a Heat Wave at the Mightyena. The canine flinched, but that didn't stop it from firing the Hyper Beam.

The attack crashed into Unfezant. Knocking him off course. The bird began to fall from the sky, and the Mightyena ran forward excitedly, an Ice Fang forming as he charged at the Unfezant. He sank his fangs into Unfezant's body, shaking him fiercely side to side.

"Sky Attack!" Alain cried out, and his Pokemon began to glow with a bright golden light. The Mightyena snarled, trying to crunch into the flying type with another Ice Fang. Unfezant was quicker however, pushing off from the ground and slamming into the Mightyena's lower jaw with the Sky Attack. Alain's gaze quickly turned back towards Weavile, use was using Protect to shield herself from a Sludge Bomb.

"Nobody move!" A harsh voice suddenly snarled, breaking through the clashing of the battle, "Call off both of your Pokemon right now, Alain!"

Alain tensed, eyes flickering about as he attempted to locate Cassidy's voice, "Like I'd ever-" Alain fell silent as his gaze met Cassidy's violet one, eyes widening in fear.

The blonde Rocket member smirked, Mairin pressed up against her chest, an arm keeping the young girl in place. Mairin's eyes were wide and unsure, shaking harshly in Cassidy's grip. Chespie had been knocked to the ground, quickly sitting up. Alain started to shake as he noticed the object in Cassidy's hand.

"One more move, Alain," Cassidy said, pressing the handgun up against Mairin's head, "And the girl dies."


	9. Chapter 9 - Trust Me

**Chapter Nine - Trust Me**

"One more step, Alain," Cassidy said quietly, "And the girl dies."

Shivers ran through Mairin as a small, cold object was pressed against the side of her head. Alain took in a sharp breath, and Mairin felt Cassidy's grip around her tighten. Mairin's heart began to race, her eyes darting about in the confusion racing through her. Chespie was sitting on the ground next to her, his eyes wide with fear.

What was happening?

One moment she had been trying to embrace her freedom, and then the next thing she knew she had seen Alain and his Pokemon had burst into the campsite, attacking. Mairin had frozen up at the sight of her kidnapper, unable to move as she watched him spring into battle, attacks flying through the air. Mairin had been too afraid to move until Cassidy had come towards her, coaxing her to stand. Mairin's mind had still be racing with fear, but she had managed to find the energy to get to her feet.

"P-pin?" Chespie whimpered, looking up at Mairin. The small Chespin had frozen up, his eyes widening with panic.

Mairin turned in Cassidy's grip, her racing mind trying to understand what was happening. Cassidy's grasp tightened as Mairin did so, but the girl twisted her head enough to catch sight of the gleaming black barrel of a handgun aimed right at her head. Mairin felt herself stiffening, staring in disbelief as Cassidy's gaze flickered down towards her. The woman's violet eyes sparkled humorously.

"Now honey," She said in her sugary tone, "Why don't you just hold still? I'd hate for this to get messy."

Mairin's mouth opened, but no words could escape her throat. The girl's amber eyes remained glued on the handgun, her small body starting to shake as she tried to comprehend what was happening. A small noise slipped from her mouth, and Cassidy simply jerked Mairin's head so she was facing away from her. Mairin's view was forced away from the gun, now staring out towards Alain and the battling Pokemon. A whimper escaped her lips as she felt the ice cold barrel pressed sharply against her temple.

"Chespin pin!" Chespie cried, springing to his feet, but the grass type didn't dare attack.

"Well Alain?" Cassidy asked calmly. Alain couldn't take his eyes off of Mairin, his skin pale and clinging with sweat. Mairin could hear her heart thumping in her chest, mind trying to piece together everything that was happening. Tears stung Mairin's eyes, the reality of what was happening crashing down on her.

"S-stand down..." Alain's voice was quiet, almost a whisper. His two Pokemon hesitated for a moment, but then stumbled back. The glow Night Slash faded from around Weavile's claws as she stepped away from the Shuckle, and Unfezant quietly landed on the grass. Butch's Mightyena snarled, seizing the Unfezant in his jaws. Alain stiffened, but didn't move.

"Wha–" Mairin began, but the gun was simply pressed harder against her head, and the words vanished from the girl's throat.

"Nothing personal, sweetie," Cassidy said calmly, "It's a shame that your boyfriend never explained anything to you, perhaps then you wouldn't have come with us so willingly," Her tone shifted as she spoke to Alain, "Recall the Pokemon."

Mairin saw Alain's jaw tighten, a flash of rage flaring between the fear in his eyes. His fingers twitched, before drifting to his pocket. Mairin watched in a fearful silence as Alain slowly pulled out two Pokeballs, his Pokemon stiffening as the spheres were aimed at him. There was a flash of red light, then Weavile and Unfezant were recalled into their Pokeballs. Alain was visibly shaking as he carefully slipped the spheres away, leaving him defenseless.

"Hand over all your Pokemon," Butch ordered with a triumphant grin, and Alain went still.

"...Let Mairin go..." Alain whispered after a moment, "...It's me you want."

"How noble," Butch replied blandly, and Cassidy's grip on Mairin didn't shift, "Pokeballs, now," Alain was still for a moment, then his hands drifted towards his pocket, "If any of them open up," Butch growled as Alain pulled out his Pokeballs, "Then the girl dies."

Alain said nothing, simply pulling out the six gleaming spheres. He didn't make eye contact as he stumbled forward, placing the Pokeballs on the ground in front of them before stumbling back. Mairin's heart pattered weakly.

Cassidy chuckled, "Your Pokemon are so loyal to you, but yet you're willing to hand them over to us without a fight? How cruel."

"...Team Rocket knows my Pokemon are strong..." Alain replied quietly, "...I know they wouldn't be quick to hurt my Pokemon..." His despite his steady tone, you could still hear the fear in his voice and see the look of helplessness on his face. Mairin shivered, she had never seen that look on Alain before.

Mairin felt a small pair of arms wrap around her leg, and her gaze flickered down towards Chespie. He was looking up at Mairin, the same emotions on her own face lining his– fear and confusion. Mairin had no idea what was happening– one moment she had been terrified of Alain when he had come charging into the clearing, and the now he was the one she was least afraid of. Her admiration for Cassidy had dried up of completely, pure fear racing through her as she felt the woman's arm locking her in place. The only thing that hadn't changed was her opinion about Butch.

"And here you said the girl would be useless, Biff," Cassidy said with a grin, "Yet we have one of the strongest trainers in Kalos under our thumb because of her," She jabbed the gun at Mairin again, snapping at Alain, "Get on the ground, hands where we can see them!"

Alain knelt down right away, hands raised into the air as if the gun were pointed at him. Mairin could only stare at the boy as he complied, her head starting to hurt. She finally seemed to realize that her life was in Alain's hands- that anything he did would affect her- not him. The threats were made towards her, but they were meant for _him_.

"W-wha-" Mairin managed to croak out, but she wasn't even sure if she had been heard. Butch's Mightyena flicked an ear, but his eyes were locked on Alain, fangs bared. The Pokemon paced around Alain, nipping at the air around him, as if trying to get Alain to lash out. The black haired boy remained still however, his icy blue eyes staring straight ahead.

"Mairin has nothing to do with this," Alain whispered, "You have me– do whatever you want. I'll come quietly, or die right here. Just let her go."

"Very selfless of you," Butch said dryly, "But I'm afraid no one simply gets to walk away."

"She has nothing to do with this," Alain repeated, voice even, but desperate. His eyes were flickering about– as if looking for something that could help him. Mairin stared straight at him, but he didn't make eye contact with her as he spoke.

"I'm afraid she now has _everything_ to do with this," Cassidy snapped, "It doesn't matter if you haven't told her anything– which is quite clear– because she has seen too much. It's a shame you didn't explain– or else I'm guessing we wouldn't be here now," Cassidy grinned coldly, "She was so happy to find us, you don't know how badly she wanted to get away from you," Alain flinched.

Mairin's breathing had become ragged, were these some kind rivals to Alain? Rivals of the criminal world? Alain had mentioned Team Rocket, but Mairin had never heard of them being in Kalos before. Mairin's heart raced faster, despite all of this there was one thing she couldn't deny– Alain was protecting her.

He hadn't been lying yesterday– he was trying to protect her.

Mairin shifted, these Team Rocket agent's words made it clear that something quite more was going on. There was something Alain hadn't told her. Mairin's legs felt like jelly, and her stomach twisted and churned. She had a feeling that if it wasn't for Cassidy holding her up, that she would be having a hard time standing.

Alain didn't say a word, but he was staring intently at Mairin's feet. She shifted uncomfortably, before remembering that Chespie was clinging to her ankle, his little arms wrapped tightly around his trainer. Alain slowly let his gaze move up towards Mairin, and she could almost see the gears moving in his mind as he thought.

"You guys are _toxic,"_ Alain suddenly spat at Team Rocket, and Cassidy stiffened in annoyance, "Foul, filthy, _toxic_ , cowardly humans! Too afraid of fighting me, so you instead hide behind a little girl!"

Mairin shivered– it was quite clear that he was talking to Team Rocket– but yet his gaze was fixated only on her. Sweat slid down her face, but Alain's brilliant eyes didn't leave her amber ones. She had to remind herself that these insults were for Team Rocket, that he wasn't talking to her...

...Or was he?

"I'd watch your tongue," Cassidy growled, and she shifted her gun from Mairin's head to her arm, "Perhaps watching her bleed a bit will keep you line. You don't want to see her in pain, do you?"

Alain stayed quiet, his eyes still focused straight at Mairin. Chespie's arms wrapped tighter around her leg, and her heart thumped a bit. Toxic, Alain had said- had empathize- Toxic... One of Chespie's attacks...

" _Got any moves that can poison or confuse it?"_ Alain's words from the day she had first met him echoed in her head, " _Good. That'll slow Flabébé down."_

When Alain said nothing else Cassidy aimed the gun back at Mairin's head. Sweat dripped down her neck, and her eyes flickered towards Chespie. He was just looking up towards Mairin, eyes wide, not knowing what to do. Cassidy and Butch didn't seem to consider Chespie a threat, and hadn't even given him a glance, ordering an attack would be so easy...

Yet so risky.

If something went wrong Mairin knew they would retaliate– and it was likely they'd go after Chespie– since it was clear they needed her alive to control Alain. Chespie shifted, and the look in his eye seemed to say that he had gotten Alain's hint to attack as well. He didn't move though, only was looking up at Mairin, waiting to see what she'd have him do. Mairin felt herself biting her lip, Pokemon put so much trust into their trainers, but she didn't know what to do. Chespie always did anything she asked of him, unafraid of the consequences. She didn't want to tell Chespie to do something that would result in him getting hurt. Her eyes flickered back towards Alain.

' _Trust me,'_ He mouthed, ' _Trust me, please.'_

Though he made no sound, she could almost hear his voice as she read his lips. She shivered, realizing the outcome of their next move depended on what she decided to do. She looked down at Chespie one more time, shivers rushing through her as Cassidy shifted the gun slightly. But if Chespie were to use Toxic on Team Rocket right now... both she and Chespie would be hit by the move as well. Perhaps it would give Alain a chance to fight back, but she would be poisoned– helpless... It Alain did succeed then she'd be at his mercy.

Suddenly the words 'trust me' seem to hit her much harder. He wasn't asking her to trust his plan to use Toxic– he was asking her to trust him completely.

Mairin gulped.

"C-chespie...?" Mairin whimpered, and she felt Team Rocket's gaze shift towards her. She gulped– Chespie couldn't hesitate once the order was given or else Team Rocket could retaliate, "E-everything is going to be alright, o-okay...? We'll be fine... j-just trust me..." Her mouth was dry. Chespie nodded.

"Don't worry honey," Cassidy said, "We have no plans on harming your Pokemon. While clearly weak, you seem to own a few rarer ones. I'm sure they'll sell quite well once you're dead."

Chespie stiffened in anger, and looked up at Mairin. Her heart somehow managed to pound faster– they were going to kill her. _They were going to kill her!_ Her eyes were focused on Alain, and for once she didn't feel fear as they watched each other, despite the panic racing through her. He didn't say anything or mouth any words, just watched her with those ice-blue eyes, then gave the slightest of nods.

"C-chespie," Mairin whispered, "Use Toxic– _now!"_

The small grass type didn't hesitate. As soon as the word left Mairin's mouth the quills on his head began to glow purple. Before Team Rocket could grasp what Mairin had just ordered a plume of poison was released into the air, surrounding Mairin, Chespie, and Team Rocket. Mairin felt herself gag as she inhaled the toxin. Her body gasped for air as the poison entered her bloodstream, the Toxic cloud beginning to engulfing them. Mairin felt Cassidy's grip on her loosen, and Mairin dove forward, tearing herself free from the Rocket's hands. She landed roughly on the ground, and could hear Cassidy and Butch coughing and hacking as the poison took hold of them.

"Ches!" Chespie cried from the dispersing plume, and a green glow could be seen. Mairin faintly saw Chespie's Vine Whip lash out onto Cassidy's wrist, knocking the gun out of her hands. Tears clouded Mairin's gaze, the poison slowly beginning to work through her.

Mairin turned her gaze in time to see Alain diving forward. His hands wrapped around two of his Pokeballs laying on the ground. His hands fumbled for the release buttons, and with several flashes of white light two shapes began to take form.

" _Meta!"_ Alain's Metagross cried, it's voice echoing with a robotic tone. Next to the steel type was Alain's Weavile, who grinned at the sight of battle once more. Butch's two Pokemon quickly raced in front of the poisoned Rocket, all four Pokemon beginning to charge up attacks.

A Meteor Mash from Metagross collided against the shell of Butch's Shuckle, knocking out the bug type with one hit. Weavile charged forward, her claws glowing with Night Slash while the Mightyena prepared a Hyper Beam. Mairin flinched as the claws raked the Mightyena's face, but then Weavile took a point-blank Hyper Beam.

"Crunch on the M-metagross!" Butch coughed, and his Mightyena raced forward as Weavile recovered from his last attack, sinking his fangs into Metagross's leg. The steel type didn't even flinch, simply throwing off the dark type off with a flick of its leg. Metagross eyes glowed, and a Rock Slide attack began to form above the Mightyena, the white energy solidifying into stones as they came crashing down.

Mairin clutched her stomach, which churned unhappily, and she guessed that if she had anything in her stomach she would have thrown it up right now. She felt herself coughing, eyes squeezed shut. The poison was making her eyes start to water and her head spin, on top of the coughing fit.

Cassidy was on her hands and knees, searching the clearing for where her gun had landed. She ran her hands over the rocks and sparse grass, trying to get the weapon. After a moment she spotted it resting in the dirt– except there was a small green shape blocking her access.

"Pin!" Chespie cried, arms spread out defensively in front of the gun, his vines raised threateningly. There was a purple tinge on his skin, showing that he was poisoned, but he didn't waver.

"R-raticate, Hyper F-fang!" Cassidy coughed, and the small brown Pokemon raced into the clearing. It slammed into Chespie, sinking her fangs into Chespie's shoulder. The grass type screamed as he was knocked away, and Cassidy scrambled on all fours towards the gun.

"Ice Beam!" Alain snarled, and Weavile leapt up, shooting the beam of frozen energy at Cassidy's hand as she reached for the gun. She let out a cry, withdrawing her hand- which was now covered in ice. Weavile kept up the Ice Beam, this time aiming at the gun. The force of the attack sent it flying back out of reach, and it was encased in a block of ice– unusable for now.

"C-chespie!" Mairin cried as the powerful Raticate crunched into Chespie's head with another Hyper Fang. The Chespie let out a cry of pain, and tried to knock the normal type off with a Vine Whip, but she was simply too strong for the small grass type.

"I was angry before," Alain said in a deadly quiet voice, taking a step towards the two poisoned Rocket members, "But you have no idea of the rage I'm feeling right now," Mairin would have shivered if she could have seen the look in Alain's eyes– a dark and burning hatred that almost seemed to make his eyes glow– but she could only weakly stare at her Chespin as he fought a battle he couldn't win. Alain looked towards his Pokemon, "But go ahead," He said in a low tone, "Keep sending out your Pokemon, Rockets. I'll be more than happy to let my team crush them– then I'll let them have a go at you."

"C-cassidy, let it out," Butch whispered, recalling both of his fallen Pokemon. His entire face purple from the Toxic.

"But we d-don't know if it'll l-listen–" Cassidy began, glops of the Toxic remains stuck in her long blonde hair.

"Just do it!" Butch cried, and Cassidy reached for her belt, pulling out the sleek black Pokeball she had shown Mairin earlier. Alain simply scoffed at them, then snapped his fingers. Both Metagross and Weavile got ready to battle, eyes reflecting that of their trainer– a dark hatred.

"G-go!" Cassidy screamed, and the Pokeball opened with a burst of black light. Chespie and Raticate both paused, eyes turning to watch the large Pokemon that was forming in the clearing.

The Pokemon had its eyes closed as it took shape, covered in rocky purple scales. Mairin shivered as she stared at the Pokemon that she had only seen as fossils in museums. It had a large underbite– rows of sharp serrated teeth protruding up from it's jaw. There was a pair of large, bat-like wings pressed up against his huge body. Its large, dragon-like tail flicked about, the only sign that the still creature was alive.

"An Aerodactyl..." Alain muttered. Mairin didn't even move, eyes locked on the creature, mouth cracking open, but no sound came from her.

This Aerodactyl wasn't natural.

Mairin gaped at the creature– it was draped in a dark shadowy aura, one that surrounded its whole body. Similar to the energy of several Pokemon moves, Mairin half expected the Aerodactyl to attack right away, but as it slid it's eyes open it was quite clear that it hadn't powered up any moves– the aura seemed to just be apart of it. Mairin shivered as the Aerodactyl raised its head, looking around. It's eyes were a gleaming black, and Mairin felt chills racing up her as they made eye contact.

It looked heartless.

Before today Mairin would have never described a Pokemon like that– even the fiercest of ones had some sort of soft side. Alain's intimidating Tyranitar liked to be scratched right at the center of his back, turning as cuddly as an Eevee when patted. Over the years Mairin had come to realize that the mega Rayquaza that haunted her nightmares had just been protecting the world when fighting the primal Pokemon– preventing them from having the power of the Megalith– trying to prevent humans like Lysandre having its power. Pokemon had a natural good side to them– even more so than humans.

But this Aerodactyl showed none of that. It's eyes were cold, almost soulless looking. It let out a bitter snarl as it looked over Alain's Pokemon, flaring open it's wings. It's natural rocky armor looked even more rough in the gleam of the shadowy energy surrounding it. Spit flew from it's mouth, and it took a few steps forward, the claws on its wings digging into the ground to keep itself balanced. It let out a ruthless roar, no fear in its eyes as it faced two opponents.

"Meteor Mash," Alain snapped, and his Metagross raced forward, hoving in the air with its psychic powers. A metallic glow surrounded one of its clawed legs as it charged at the Aerodactyl. The Pokemon narrowed its eyes, then leapt up into the air, avoiding the Meteor Mash with its swift speed. Metagross wasn't deterred, simply turning and waiting for it to come around again.

"Flamethrower!" Cassidy cried, and the Aerodactyl's mouth opened, a glow forming in the back of it's throat, releasing a burst of intense flames, which engulfed Metagross.

" _Meta!"_ Metagross cried, writhing in pain as the attack faded. Mairin frowned– it usually took more than one hit for an attack to even put a dent in Alain's Pokemon.

"Chespin pin!" Chespie cried in warning, and Mairin felt something slam into her. Cassidy's Raticate knocked Mairin into the ground. The rat Pokemon glared down at Mairin, her teeth starting to glow white with Hyper Fang. Mairin's eyes widened, and she began to struggle, but the poison had weaken her. She could feel the strength of her limbs failing her, and she remained pinned under the Raticate. The Raticate raised it's head, ready to sink its teeth into Mairin, "Pinpin!"

A Pin Missile struck the Raticate– though it wasn't enough to knock it off of Mairin. It turned, glaring at Chespie, who was struggling to stay on his feet. The poison was weakening him by the minute. The Raticate snarled, turning to face Chespin, "Rati!"

"Chespie, no!" Mairin coughed weakly, but the grass type had the Raticate's full attention. The normal type took a few steps forward, and then suddenly it's whole body burst into flames. Mairin's and Chespie's eyes widened as they realized the Pokemon knew a fire type move. The Raticate grinned, then raced at Chespie with the Flame Wheel.

"Pin!" Chespie screamed as he was hit. Mairin struggled to stand, but the best she could do was get onto her knees. She could hear the sound of Alain's Pokemon battling the Aerodactyl– but her eyes remained focused on her starter. He laid on the ground, smoke curling around him. The Raticate huffed, then turned to face Mairin again. She didn't even care, simply staring at her Pokemon.

"Stand up Chespie..." She whispered, but the Chespin didn't move, and tears stung her eyes. Fear crossed over Mairin's face, images of Chespie flashed through her mind- him lying helpless in a bed, a faint green glow around him as he was trapped in his comatose state...

"Cate," The Raticate growled, and her eyes turned back towards the Raticate. The Pokemon was advancing on her. Mairin scrambled back on her hands and feet, but she knew she would be helpless against this Pokemon. The Raticate's teeth gleamed in the sunlight, slowly making it's way towards Mairin.

"Ches..." A voice whimpered from behind Mairin. Her heart rose, and her eyes flickered back towards the Chespin. He had managed to push himself to his feel, shaking from the damage he had taken. The Raticate stiffened, turning back to face Chespie, but then froze. Mairin's eyes widened as a sudden white glow surrounded the Chespin, and the Raticate stumbled back, " _Pin!"_

Mairin had only seen the process a few times in her life, but never before with her own Pokemon. Despite the sounds of battle and the pain of the poison, Mairin sat transfixed as she watched the light of evolution envelop her Chespin. He began to grow in size, the light flaring up around him as he began to change– glowing so harshly that Mairin had to raise a hand to block out the light.

She lowered her hand as the glow faded, and her little Chespin was gone. The Quilladin in his place stood proud, glaring at the Raticate with his dark brown eyes. While still poisoned, the process of evolution had seemed to energized the grass type, and he took up a battle stance.

"Chespie...?" Mairin whispered uncertainly. The Quilladin glanced at her for a moment, before curling up in a ball. For a moment Mairin was afraid that he had given up the battle, but then the Quilladin came rolling down the hill, picking up speed as he rushed forward. The Rollout attack slammed into the Raticate, knocking it away from Mairin. Chespie kept up the Rollout, gaining more power and speed as he kept rolling– charging at the Raticate again.

The normal type snarled, typing to land a Hyper Fang, but the spinning force of Chespie knocked her away, deflecting the attack and only letting Chespie gain more speed.

"Quill!" He cried, slamming into the Raticate once more. The Raticate was sent flying back, slamming into a rock.

"Cate..." She groaned, shaking as she got to her feet. The Raticate turned, only to be hit by Rollout for the fourth time. Mairin could barely keep her eyes on the Quilladin, who was only gaining more strength the longer he rolled. It didn't help that the poison was sending black spots dancing along the edges of her vision, a dizzy sensation rushing over her.

"Din!" Chespie cried, coming in for the fifth Rollout. Raticate growled in annoyance, and then burst into flames– running straight at Chespie with a Flame Wheel. Mairin's stomach turned, knowing that the poison was only making Chespie weaker. The two Pokemon met, colliding straight into each other. Smoke from the Flame Wheel surrounded them, the smell of burnt earth filling the air. Raticate and Chespie faced each other as they pulled out of their attacks, shaking as they attempted to stay standing. The purple tinge of the poison had spread across Chespie's whole face, and he staggered to the side, eyes closed.

"Rati..." Raticate grinned. Her teeth gleamed with a Hyper Fang, stumbling towards the Quilladin to finish him off. Chespie staggered forward another step, then opened his eyes. Raticate stopped in her tracks as she noticed a green light filling Chespie's eyes. He let out a low growl, his whole body becoming covered in a harsh green aura, and he lashed out with a Vine Whip, "Cate!"

The attack had caught the Raticate right in the stomach, slamming into her with great force. The entire vine had been covered in the same green aura– the energy of Overgrow– Chespie's ability. The Raticate was launched away from Chespie and Mairin– fainted before it even hit the ground. Chespie had a small smile on his face, stumbling a bit as the light of Overgrow faded. He looked at Mairin, who was grinning ear to ear despite the poison affecting both of them.

"Metagross!" Alain cried.

Trainer and Pokemon raised their gaze to watch the battle between Alain's Pokemon and the Aerodactyl. Mairin's eyes widened as she watched the Aerodactyl send a Stone Edge flying at Metagross, the sharp rocks digging into the metal armor. Metagross crashed into the ground, its eyes gleaming weakly as the rock type dove after him, releasing a powerful Flamethrower. Mairin shivered as she heard Metagross let out a scream of pain.

"Weav?" Weavile asked quietly as the fire died down, but Metagross didn't stand. The Aerodactyl let out a victorious roar, rising into the air. Mairin felt herself paling– Alain's Metagross didn't fall easily– she had only seen the Pokemon defeated a few times, and never before when it had the type advantage. Through her blurry vision Mairin watched the fallen steel type, who Alain quickly recalled to a Pokeball, his hands trembling.

Despite the poison working through them, the two Rocket's were grinning, "So this is the power from Orre," Cassidy chuckled, "Much more powerful that I realized."

" _Vile!"_ Weavile snarled, and she raced towards the rock type, who was still gliding through the air. Weavile fired an Ice Beam up at the Pokemon, which the Aerodactyl avoided with a simple dive. It locked his black eyes on Weavile, the shadowy aura around it flickering. The Aerodactyl hovered in the air for a moment, white orbs circling around it. The Stone Edge was fired down on Weavile.

The speedy dark type avoided the attack with ease, the glow of Night Slash surrounding her claws. The Aerodactyl dove once more, and this time Weavile leapt up to meet it. The Night Slash was raked across its face, but the Aerodactyl seemed unfazed by the sharp claws. It opened its wide jaws, dark energy of a Crunch attack outlining its teeth as it sank its fangs straight into Weavile's stomach.

The shriek Weavile let out would be one that Mairin never forgot.

The high pitched cry shattered the air, making Mairin recoil at the sound. The Aerodactyl's teeth had torn through Weavile's short fur, piercing her skin. The ancient Pokemon seized the ice type in his grip, whipping his head side to side like a feral Growlithe. He then released the Weavile, sending her flying across the field. She landed near the edge of the clearing, clutching the bite marks on her stomach.

"W-weavile!" Alain cried, and Mairin felt her stomach churning at the sight before her. Weavile shakily pulled her claws back, blood dripping from the bite marks. Alain's eyes widened– quickly fumbled for Weavile's Pokeball, his face pale, "R-return!"

The bleeding Pokemon was recalled in a flash of red light, and Mairin just stared at the spot where Weavile had been, head spinning. Pokemon battles weren't like that... Pokemon attacks never broke the skin... Even the fiercest of battles she had witnessed Alain fighting in had never resulted in even a drop of blood...

Cassidy was smirking, "This is a whole new level of b-battling!" She practically sang. Her skin was turning a dark purple, the poison causing her skin tone to match her violet eyes, "O-one that- t-that–" She turned, coughing harshly into her fists as the poison worked its way deeper.

Mairin swayed on the spot, and she wasn't sure if it was from what she had just witnessed or the poison. Blackness danced around her vision... How were Chespie and Rocket still standing? This poison was painful, making her muscles scream. It drained everything from her, pulling the energy right from her bones.

" _Aero!"_ The Aerodactyl screamed, folding his wings as he landed. The fossil Pokemon whipped his head around, looking for a new target. Mairin shivered, that shadowy aura was flaring up more than ever- flickers of red dancing through it... Why did it seem like no one else was noticing the dark energy about it...? No one even flinched as its entire aura suddenly flashed a bright scarlet, before fading back to its gray-black.

The Aerodactyl whipped its head towards Alain. His black eyes narrowed, mouth opening into a snarl. Alain took a step back, and the Aerodactyl advanced on him. It was using the claws on its wings to help it stay balanced as it creeped forward, tail lashing out. Mairin shivered as she watched the aura flicker to a dark red again, the energy surging brighter than ever. Alain's eyes widened, as if suddenly seeing the energy, and the Aerodactyl rushed at him, fangs bared.

"A-alain!" Mairin cried, watching as he threw himself out of the way of the charging Pokemon. His foot got caught in a small hole, twisting under him as he dove a side. Alain let out a cry of pain as he fell to the ground, hands rushing to clutch his ankle as the Aerodactyl charged at right where he had been standing moments before. The rock type slammed into a tree instead. He stumbled back, letting out a harsh cry as the aura crackled around him– as if was paining him. After a moment the aura died back down to its normal gray, flickering around him calmly.

The edges of Mairin's vision was dancing with blackness.

"W-was that one of the moves?" Butch asked in a small tone.

Cassidy nodded, "S-shadow–" She started coughing, "R-rush- I th-think..."

The Aerodactyl wheeled around to face Alain again.

He hastily reached for another Pokeball, tears of pain lining his eyes as he fumbled to release the Pokemon. Mairin was expecting him to send out his ace at this point- his mighty Charizard. But as the Pokeball opened up she was startled to see that it wasn't the winged lizard. Instead Alain's Bisharp took shape, quickly taking up a battle stance, his many blades gleaming in the sunlight. The Aerodactyl's eyes narrowed, focused on its new target.

"F-flamethrower!" Butch coughed, and the Aerodactyl began to heat up the back of its throat.

"Dodge that and use Thunder Wave!" Alain cried, and Bisharp quickly caught onto the desperation in his trainer's voice. The gleaming Pokemon jumped, avoiding the intense flames with ease. The end of his metallic arm began to crackle with electricity, aimed straight at the Aerodactyl. A pulse of electricity was released from his bladed arm, racing towards the Aerodactyl, who opened his wings, rising into the air to avoid the attack. Bisharp narrowed his eyes, watching his aerial opponent take flight. The steel type looked back at his trainer, knowing another Thunder Wave would be difficult to land at this point.

Mairin quickly caught on to Alain's strategy– it was the same one he used every time he battled with Bisharp. His way of dealing with a dangerous opponent– for when he wasn't using Charizard, of course. It was quite simple, paralyze and slow down their target with a Thunder Wave, and once they couldn't move strike them down with a powerful–

"Guillotine!" Alain snarled, his fear and bitterness echoing through his tone. Bisharp bent his arms, the blades on his elbows beginning to glow. Mairin could feel the power radiating from the attack Bisharp was forming, his blades glowing and expanding dangerously into what was known as one of the "one-hit knockout" moves. Mairin shivered, knowing the power behind the attack. Guillotine was so powerful that it would take out its target with only a single hit. It's only drawback was how difficult it was to land the attack– its sheer power taking away the user's ability to properly control where it struck.

Alain's goal was clear– even without the paralysis slowing Aerodactyl down– Alain wanted to wrap this battle up with a single hit.

The Rockets drew back nervously as Aerodactyl let out a screech– diving without hesitation towards Bisharp– teeth gleaming with a Crunch attack. Bisharp grunted, struggling to keep the energy of the Guillotine under control as the Aerodactyl came at him. He leapt forward at the last second, lashing down with the ferocious attack, slashing the Aerodactyl with the twin blades across the stomach.

" _Aero!"_ The Aerodactyl screamed as he was hit, a burst of energy being released from the powerful Guillotine. The force of the move sent Aerodactyl falling to the earth, collapsing onto the ground in a heap. The Bisharp landed in a kneeling position on the other side of the Pokemon, the glow from his attack fading aways as he took in a deep breath. The Bisharp stood, knowing that his opponent had to be down.

Alain let out a sigh of relief, sweat dripping down his face. He was favoring his left leg, not daring to put much weight on the ankle. Mairin felt herself relaxing slightly– the worst threat was down, and with Chespie right next to her Mairin found herself able to breath. Even with the poison still working its way through her the ferocity of the fight was beginning to slip away.

Alain's look a relief quickly faded away as he turned to face Team Rocket, rage replacing it. The two members couldn't even stand, the poison having done its job. There was a slight tremble as Alain laid his gaze on them, his eyes cold and harsh. His Bisharp stood next to him, arms crossed as it glared at the two humans.

"This is over," Alain snarled quietly.

Team Rocket didn't say anything.

"Ro..." A voice growled, and everyone stiffened. All eyes flickered back towards the seemingly fallen Aerodactyl, eyes widening in disbelief as they watched the Pokemon stir. A pit formed in Mairin's churning stomach as she watched the Aerodactyl stumble to it's feet, wings quivering as they opened up. Even Team Rocket looked startled– watching the Pokemon that should have been fainted rise up. The Aerodactyl was glaring at Bisharp with hatred, his shadowy aura crackling red once more. The Aerodactyl reared its head up, letting out a mighty roar.

Though weakened, the Pokemon couldn't be considered defeated.

* * *

 **Chespie evolved! :)**

 **When planning out Mairin's team for this story I first considered leaving Chespie a Chespin the whole story, since I'm not the biggest fan of Quilladin's design. In the end though I decided it would be important for Mairin's character for Chespie to evolve. Besides, I really like Chesnaught. :)**


	10. Chapter 10 - To Safety

**Chapter Ten - To Safety**

Alain could only stare as he watched the Aerodactyl slowly pull himself to his feet, letting out a long roar as it raised its head. Alain took a step back, regretting it as he felt a wave of pain flare up his ankle. He gritted his teeth, watching the Aerodactyl flex its wings. This was impossible– it should have been down after a Guillotine! Alain's Bisharp raced in front of him defensively, his blades gleaming. The Aerodactyl snorted, and began advancing.

The golden, axe-like blade on Bisharp's head began to glow, and Bisharp charged forward with an Iron Head. Alain turned, eyes desperately scanning the clearing for Mairin. She was sitting a ways behind Team Rocket, amber eyes wide and lined with tears. Her face was tinged purple, her whole form shaking. A ping of guilt raced through Alain at seeing her poisoned, but he had no time to help her– she would be safer if he got rid of the main threat. He quickly turned back to the battle– he couldn't let this Aerodactyl get the upper hand.

"Thunder Wave– Now!" Alain cried, and Bisharp raised his arm. A small electric pulse was released at the Aerodactyl, hitting it in the chest. The Aerodactyl recoiled, as if expecting pain from the status move. The large fossil Pokemon blinked slowly as the paralysis took hold, its whole body sparking with electricity. Bisharp smiled, its blades gleaming.

"S-shadow Rush!" Cassidy cried, and the Aerodactyl lowered itself close to the ground– preparing to charge. Alain shivered as he watched a dark red energy suddenly surrounded the Aerodactyl. Shadow Rush– an attack he had never heard of before. He couldn't even decide what type of attack it was. The name suggested a ghost type, but the red aura looked more like a fighting type move.

He watched as the rock type charged forward, running straight at Bisharp. The bladed Pokemon leapt up, dodging the slower Pokemon with ease, releasing a Focus Blast down at it from mid air. Alain felt himself relaxing in the slightest as the paralysed Aerodactyl was hit– the last thing he needed was for this Pokemon to be immune to status affects alongside surviving Guillotines...

How on earth had it able to get back up after the Guillotine?

The Aerodactyl screeched, stumbling back to its feet, snarling at Bisharp angrily. Alain let his gaze slide from the Pokemon to Team Rocket. They had seemed just as startled at the Aerodactyl's recovery from the Guillotine as he had been, staring at the creature in awe as it sank a Crunch into Bisharp's armored body. Like Mairin, you could clearly see that they were poisoned from the Toxic, skin slowly turning a sickly shade of purple, limbs shaking, and coughing between their cries. Unlike Mairin though, they seemed to have much more control over themselves. Butch was still standing– though he was leaning up against a tree for support. Cassidy was shouting comands at the top of her lungs at the Aerodactyl, though she swayed as she sat on the ground.

Mairin was quivering where she sat, a Quilladin trying to support her as her eyelids fluttered weakly. Alain had no time to question to the new Pokemon, simply barking a sharp order at Bisharp as he reached for another Pokeball. He expanded the sphere in his hands, throwing it up into the air.

"Fez!" Unfezant cried as he was released, wings flapping as he surveyed the area.

"Unfezant!" Alain called, "Keep the Aerodactyl distracted and from attacking Bisharp!" He ordered, and the bird glanced down at him, nodding. Alain couldn't let Bisharp get hurt, he was still depending on the steel type on taking down this Aerodactyl, "Don't let it land any attacks on you!" Alain cried as Unfezant sped forward, "Retreat if you must– but don't let it touch you!"

Alain gulped as he thought back on Weavile, the blood pooling from her stomach... He clenched his fists, Bisharp and Metagross probably only dealt with the attacks from this thing due to their steel typing shielding them from the direct damage. But Weavile... she had nothing to protect her this Aerodactyl's attacks– and neither would his Unfezant. He didn't want to see any more blood on his Pokemon... That wasn't suppose to happen...

Unfezant sped by the Aerodactyl with a Quick Attack, nicking him in the side. The normal type move did nothing to the rock type, but it was enough to take the Aerodactyl's focus off of Bisharp. The Aerodactyl's gaze followed Unfezant as he took to the sky, allowing for Bisharp to land a powerful Focus Blast on the rock type. The Aerodactyl shrieked, stumbling to the side.

Alain bit his lip, ignoring the pain coming from his left ankle. He could still feel the sensation of it twisting under him when he had dodged the Aerodactyl's attack earlier. He didn't know bad the damage was, but it hurt to stand on it. He couldn't focus on that however, and his blue eyes remained glued to the battle.

"Guillotine!" He cried, and Bisharp gave him a hesitant glance. Even though the attack had failed to take down the Aerodactyl the first time, it still had done a ton of damage to the Pokemon. While still fighting at full power, pushing the limits of its paralysis as it whipped its head around to follow Unfezant's movements– Alain had seen how much the first Guillotine had weakened it.

Bisharp's blades began to glow white once more, charging up power for the attack. Unfezant flew around Aerodactyl's head with the grace of a Swanna. He avoided every snap of the creature's jaws, taunting it as Bisharp focused. Every time the paralysis acted up, forcing the Aerodactyl to go still, Unfezant would strike with a Steel Wing, slowly chipping away at its rocky armor. The Aerodactyl let out a hiss when he was hit, spit flying from its mouth.

"Get into the a-air!" Cassidy cried, watching as Bisharp formed his attack. Like Alain, they had seem to realize that while able to keep fighting after one Guillotine– two would be pushing the Aerodactyl's limits.

Aerodactyl looked towards the Rockets with narrowed eyes, only for Unfezant to land another Steel Wing on the back of his head. The Aerodactyl seemed to be listening to the Rockets, but... there was just something about its eyes. They were dark, empty, almost emotionless. Alain could simply tell that this Aerodactyl had no care or respect for the two Rocket's ordering it, but yet it still obeyed. Alain watched as it opened it's rocky wings, barely able to take to the skies just as Bisharp ran forward to strike with his second Guillotine.

Aerodactyl took to the air, wings flapping wildly as electricity crackled around his form. The Guillotine missed– striking the ground where the Aerodactyl had stood instead. A huge wave of white energy released on contact, releasing a plume of dust into the air. Bisharp stumbled away from the failed attack, the ground scorched black where the Guillotine had landed. Unfezant threw himself into a powerful Sky Attack at the Aerodactyl, trying to keep it from flying higher and out of Bisharp's reach. The Aerodactyl's jaws snapped at Unfezant, missing his wing by mere inches.

"Aero!" He snarled, but Alain knew it wouldn't be long until he would be forced to land. The paralysis would act up again, and he would be unable to remain airborne in the state. Bisharp calmly raised his arm, the blue light glow of a Focus Blast forming at the tip of his hand as he aimed. White orbs of energy gathered around Aerodactyl at the same moment, each of them slowly solidifying into the jagged rocks of a Stone Edge.

"Unfezant, dodge!" Alain cried, but Unfezant had already dove into another Steel Wing. The bird Pokemon attempted to pull out of the attack, but the Aerodactyl released the Stone Edge straight at him. At the last second Unfezant brought his metallic wings in front of him in hopes of blocking the attack, but Alain knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Fez!" Unfezant screamed as the Stone Edge stuck him. Alain felt his gut twisting as he watched the jagged stones slam into his Pokemon, the sharp edge slicing through his feathers and skin. The Aerodactyl flew forward, glowing with the aura of Shadow Rush. With blood running down his feathers, Unfezant was knocked from the sky by the Shadow Rush. The Pokemon fell, wings limp as the ground rushed up to meet him. Alain aimed the Pokeball up at the falling Pokemon, the return beam recalling him moments before he crashed into the ground.

Alain shook with relief, and Bisharp released the Focus Blast. Alain clutched the Pokeball close to his heart, watching the Aerodactyl glide towards the ground, as the Focus Blast missed. Electricity was crackling around him as the paralysis acted up, and his claws sank into the ground. There was no remorse in the creature's eyes as he raised his head– dark eyes glaring at Bisharp. This Pokemon not only spilled blood, but it seemed to enjoy it. Alain slipped Unfezant's Pokeball away, throat tightening.

"Bisharp, Iron Head now!" Alain ordered, voice turning cold. Bisharp obeyed, running forward, the blade on his head glowing. The super effective attack was rammed into the paralyzed Aerodactyl, colliding with its chest. The Aerodactyl cringed from the force of the blow, allowing Bisharp to slide back and prepare another attack, "Focus Blast!"

Bisharp raised both arms, forming the powerful fighting type move. Aerodactyl's eyes gleamed with a pure hatred as he watched the orb grow, his movements slow and jerky from the paralysis. The Aerodactyl attempted to open his wings, and both Cassidy and Butch were screaming at it to dodge. Alain glanced towards the Rockets, who were now both unable to stand due to the poison. His gaze then slipped towards Mairin, chills racing up him as he saw her laying on the ground– out cold.

The Focus Blast landed with explosive force– the blow sending the Aerodactyl across the clearing. The Pokemon landed on its back, a burn running down his scales from the attack. It weakly raised its head, just in time to see Bisharp racing towards him, the blades on his arms starting to glow.

"End this," Alain said, his voice as sharp as his Bisharp's glowing blades, "Guillotine."

Bisharp jumped, raising his arms above his head. The Aerodactyl's eyes reflected the white glow of the Guillotine attack as Bisharp brought the powerful attack down on him. Gleaming blades clashed against the Aerodactyl, releasing their energy with a powerful flash of white light as they struck. Alain's eyes were cold as the Aerodactyl let out a cry of pain, the force of the Guillotine sending up dust into the air. Bisharp leapt back from the Aerodactyl, huffing with exhaustion. He watched nervously, waiting to see if the Aerodactyl would rise again.

The dust settled, and they could see the Aerodactyl laying there, all energy gone from the monstrous Pokemon.

There was a burst of red light, and Cassidy was holding up a black Pokeball. The Aerodactyl was recalled to the sphere, and she shakily slipped it away. She coughed and quivered, glaring at Alain with pure hatred. Butch's mouth opened, but no words came from him. Alain kept his gaze level with the Rockets.

"Got anything else up your sleeves?" He asked quietly, "Or are we done here?"

Cassidy pulled out another Pokeball, and Bisharp lowered himself into an attacking position. She released a Hypno, causing Bisharp to grin– knowing his dark typing would protect him from any psychic attack.

But Cassidy didn't seem interested in attacking. She coughed out a single word to her Hypno, her whole form trembling from the poison, "T-teleport!"

The Hypno began to glow. Alain's eyes widened, but before he could give Bisharp a single order the glow from the Hypno expanded, surrounding Cassidy and Butch. The Hypno's glow brightened, and with a flash of light he teleported himself and Team Rocket from the clearing. Alain gritted his teeth, swearing.

A small whimper was enough to pull him from his anger though.

"Mairin!" He cried, turning. He regretted the action, pain flaring up his twisted ankle. It took his entire will to hold back a cry of pain, and he limped towards Mairin. Now with the distraction of the battle gone the pain of his ankle was impossible to ignore, "Mairin, are you alright?!"

She didn't reply, simply laying on the ground. Her skin was entirely tinted purple, sweat running across her small form. Guilt twisted through Alain– he was the one that asked her to use Toxic. He was the one that asked her to put herself in this state. And despite all that he had done to her, she had gone through with his desperate plan.

"Quill!" Alain recoiled as a Quilladin leapt in front of Mairin, holding his stubby arms out in front of the girl. Alain stared at the grass type, noticing the purple tinge of poison running across his face.

"Chespie," Alain muttered, recognizing the Pokemon. The evolved Chespin twitched in acknowledgement, but didn't move from his defensive position. The Quilladin was glaring at Alain, confusion and distrust in his eyes. Alain could only imagine what was going through his mind at the moment, "Chespie, let me see Mairin," Alain said hoarsely.

"Din..." Chespie growled, shifting uncertainly. Alain knew that he could get Chespie away from Mairin with a single attack from Bisharp– but he wasn't going to do that. Alain lowered himself to his knees– both so he was closer to the Quilladin's level, and to take some weight off of his ankle. He looked the grass type in the eye, watching Chespie shake from the poison.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Alain said quietly, "We need to get out of here, Team Rocket could be back at any moment. Chespie– I promise you that I would never hurt her– I just want her to be safe. Please, trust me."

The poisoned Quilladin watched Alain, then glanced back at his unconscious trainer. Mairin's whole form was quivering, sweat running down her skin. Chespie looked back at Alain, desperation in his eyes, "Quill..."

Alain smiled, "You love her," He whispered, "You'd do anything for Mairin, and you are Mairin's world. Chespie, you can't help her in this state. Let me get her out of here," He reached towards the Quilladin, "Alright...?"

Chespie recoiled from Alain's hand, but his eyes remained glued to the human. Several seconds of silence passed, and at last Chespie stumbled back, allowing Alain to approach Mairin. He scrambled forward on his hands and knees, drawing up to her side. His fingers twitched as he reached for Mairin, but Alain only hesitated for a second before running his hands over her face. She was burning up, her body turning fervish as it attempted to fight off the poison in her. He knew that she wasn't about to wake up anytime soon, not until he got the poisoned cured.

"...D-din..." Alain turned in time to see Chespie collapsing to the ground, unable to stand any longer. He was breathing heavily, looking at Mairin with tears in his eyes. Alain reached for Mairin's bag, which sat near her, fumbling for the pocket where he knew she kept her Pokeballs. He withdrew Chespie's, and held it out towards him.

"Rest," Alain whispered, "I'll help her, I promise."

Chespie looked up at him. The Quilladin took in a shaky breath, struggling to stay conscious. Finally something in his gaze softened, and the grass type nodded. He reached out with one arm, and Alain offered the Pokeball again. Chespie touched the small button, and he was recalled to the sphere with a burst of red light. Alain carefully replaced the Pokeball into her bag, knowing that while in it Chespie's poison wouldn't get worse.

But of course the same wouldn't hold true for Mairin.

Alain was still kneeling next to her, hands shaking as he tried to figure out what to do next. They couldn't stay here– it was more than possible that Team Rocket could return with back up of some kind. As much as he wanted to stay here and cure her poison first, he knew that they needed to get moving.

Alain glanced back at his Bisharp, who was calmly waiting to see what Alain would do. Alain had no Pokemon that could help him carry Mairin out of her– Metagross, Weavile, and Unfezant were too injured to do so. Tyranitar wouldn't be able through fit in this forest– while sparse, the trees still grew too close together for the giant rock type. There was Charizard... but she was still resting, and then Bisharp... Alain looked at the bladed Pokemon and shuddered. He loved his Pokemon, but there was no way he was letting Bisharp carry Mairin– he simply had too many sharp blades on him for the task.

So that left him.

Alain looked down at his ankle, which was starting to swell slight. He could only hoped that he hadn't fully sprained it in his fall– but he knew what he was about to do wouldn't help it either. He looked back towards Mairin, hesitating for a moment. He then reached for her neck, untying the yellow scarf she wore, and then sliding off her small green poncho as well. It wasn't much, but with the way she was burning up it was best to have less cloth trapping in her body heat. Alain tucked the poncho into her backpack, along with her hat– which he had been carrying in his pocket. He held onto her scarf however.

"Bisharp, will you carry our bags?" Alain asked quietly, sliding his off from his back. The steel type nodded, stepping forward. Alain turned his attention back towards Mairin, trying to keep his mounting panic under control. He held the scarf in his hands, then looked down at his ankle, "I'm going to borrow this..." He muttered, though he knew Mairin couldn't hear him.

He wrapped the small scarf around his twisted ankle, tightly wrapping the joint to give it some support for when he walked. While it was no cast or bandage, it would have to do. Once he made sure it was secure he looked over towards Mairin. He took in a deep breath, bracing himself, and carefully scooped up Mairin's small form into his arms.

His ankle screamed in pain as the extra weight was added to it, but Alain remained silent. His teeth were gritted as he forced himself to his feet, Mairin's limp body resting in his arms. Bisharp was watching him uncertainly, flinching as his trainer stumbled to find balance on his injured ankle.

"I'm fine," Alain hissed through gritted teeth, but Bisharp still took several steps towards Alain. The steel type looked drained from the battle, but his injuries were minimal, especially when compared to Alain's other Pokemon. He carried the two backpacks over his shoulder, the bags carefully placed away from the bladed parts of his body. He blinked, but didn't comment on Alain's watery eyes as he limped forward out of the clearly, face twisted with pain. Mairin shifted slightly in Alain's arms.

Trainer and Pokemon slowly made their way into the forest in silence, trying to get the poisoned girl to safety.


	11. Chapter 11 - I'm Sorry

**Chapter Eleven - I'm Sorry**

"Bébé wait–!"

" _Fla!"_

Alain gulped, ducking as a Fairy Wind was sent flying his way. He looked up nervously towards the fairy type, who was hovering angrily in front of him. Throughout his lifetime Alain had faced many threats– a childhood he'd rather forgot, battles against mega Pokemon, and even battles against legendaries themselves. He had fought against those who'd like to see him dead, he had even turned against and help defeat the very man who wanted to destroy the world!

But the sight of the angry Flabébé in front of him was one of the most frightening things he had ever seen.

"Flabébé fla!" She cried angrily, charging forward with a Tackle. Alain sank to the ground at the last second, barely dodging the livid Pokemon.

...Perhaps he should have thought this through more before releasing Bébé.

After struggling through the forest for what had felt like ages to Alain, Bisharp had noticed a narrow entrance to a cave, which he had soon found to be empty of any wild Pokemon. Alain had followed Bisharp inside, knowing he couldn't carry Mairin much farther on his throbbing ankle. He had released Tyranitar outside to keep watch, and had then turned his full attention to Mairin, whom he had laid down on top of her sleeping bag. She had looked worse than ever, the poison spreading farther through her, sweat coating her whole body, her breathing becoming short and ragged.

In his panic to help her he had released her Flabébé– a species known for their healing abilities– without even thinking what the fairy type would think of seeing her trainer laying helpless and poisoned with the man that had kidnapped her.

Bébé had always been more of a quiet Pokemon, preferring her space when she was released from her Pokeball. But one glance at her unconscious trainer had sent Bébé into a wild fury– Alain had never seen this side to her before. While it was reassuring to see Mairin's Pokemon so protective of her– dodging attacks from the raging Pokemon wasn't exactly something Alain could do with his twisted ankle.

"Agh!" He cried as a Magical Leaf was launched at his face. The gleaming leaves stung as they struck, and Alain raised his hands defensively as Bébé zoomed in closer to attack again.

"Sharp," Bisharp grunted, and Alain lowered his hands as he heard the chitters of an angry Flabébé. Bisharp had snatched Bébé out of the air, and he now held the Pokemon delicately by her small body. The Pokemon's yellow flower had fallen to the floor, and she was now lashing out against Bisharp's grip.

"Th-thank you," Alain whispered, sinking to the floor in exhaustion. Even with the weight off of his ankle, it still ached. Ignoring the pain however, Alain dragged himself back to his feet, rubbing his cheek from where the Magical Leaves had hit him. Bisharp gave him a disapproving glare as he stood, but Alain ignored him, even though he knew he needed to rest. He looked at Bébé, who was still struggling in Bisharp's grasp, "Bébé, I need you to calm down– Mairin needs your help!"

"Flabé!" She snarled at Alain, lashing out harder. Bisharp didn't loosen his grip, just letting the Pokemon dangle upside down.

Alain closed his eyes– they didn't have time for this! He limped towards Mairin's bag, replacing Bébé's Pokeball as he pulled out Chespie's– he needed healing anyways– and hopefully Bébé would listen to him. He sank down next to Mairin's backpack, releasing Chespie from the sphere.

The Quilladin stumbled as he was released, only able to remain standing for a few moments before he sagged to the ground. Bébé let out a distressed call, and Alain placed a hand on Chespie's back. He watched Alain warily, quivering as he struggled to stand.

"Just sit down," Alain muttered, and he hesitated, "C-could you please explain to Bébé what's going on? I can't even get a word in without her attacking– I just need her help with you and Mairin– Mairin can't swallow any sort of antidote when she's unconscious!"

"Din..." Chespie nodded, huffing.

"Bisharp, let go of Bébé please," Alain said. The Bisharp held up the little Pokemon, glaring at her in warning, then he released her. She fell a ways before she was able to gain control of herself, hovering about a foot off the ground. Looking around nervously she darted towards her fallen flower, scooping it up. Once she was settled back on top of the blossom she zipped towards Chespie, staring at the evolved Pokemon in awe.

"Flabébé bébé fla!" She cried to Chespie.

The grass type looked up at her weakly, "Din qu-quilladin quill," He replied, coughing slightly. Bébé glanced towards Alain uncertainly, gaze narrowed.

He didn't bother listening to the Pokemon as they continued speaking in a hurried and hushed manner– he couldn't understand them anyways. After a minute Bébé drifted towards Mairin, landing on her side, looking over her in worry.

"Look," Alain said quietly, "I know that I am in _no_ way in the right at the moment. I have been treating Mairin horribly, I have failed to explain things that she deserves to know, and it was because of my attitude that lead her to Rocket finding her like that– but I do care about her! Right now we both want to help her, so please just work with me, okay?"

"...Fla..." Bébé muttered after a moment, giving a short nod. She refused to look at Alain, sticking close to Mairin's side. Chespie said nothing, simply leaning up against the cave wall in his exhaustion.

Alain moved closer to Mairin's side, "You know the move Aromatherapy, right?" Alain asked quietly, and the fairy type gave another stiff nod, "I know that you haven't been trained much for battle or healing– but Aromatherapy can help with status conditions," Alain hesitated, "I know that you won't be able to cure her completely– she's simply been poisoned for too long and you're no Pokemon of Nurse Joy's– but I believe you can do enough to help Mairin's body to the point where she can fight the poison off naturally."

"Flabé," She whispered, shifting uncertainly. A slight glow surrounded her and her flower for a moment, before fading.

"I can't give her anything to help her unless she's awake," Alain said, "I can try help Chespie's poisoning– _but you're the only one that can do anything for Mairin right now!"_ She flinched as he snapped out the last part, but Alain didn't care. He didn't have time to sit here and argue with Bébé when Mairin needed help.

Bébé floated up into the air, landing on Mairin's head. The fairy type shifted nervously, before beginning to glow green. She released the sweet smelling Aromatherapy into the air, a green light bathing the cave. Chespie let out a sigh as the light washed over him, and Alain felt himself relaxing as the glow touched him. The pain in his ankle died down slightly, and Alain watched as the purple tinge from around Chespie's face lessoned, the poison starting to retreat from his system.

Alain focused his gaze on Mairin as Bébé drifted back uncertainly– she had been the main focus for the Aromatherapy. Mairin's trembling had stopped for the most part, and her breathing didn't seem quite as desperate anymore. Some of the tension in her face slipped away as the Aromatherapy came to a stop, and the purple tinge of the poison didn't seem quite as bright. He watched as the unnatural coloring started to fade away from her, leaving pale and sweating skin in its place. Bébé drooped as she saw that some purple tint remained on Mairin, though not nearly as harsh as before.

This was better than Alain had been hoping for, however, and he moved closer to to Mairin. Usually Pokemon couldn't pull off healing moves to their fullest without proper training and experience. Pokemon that served in Pokemon Centers often went through as much training as the human nurses and doctors– perfecting their skills to their limits. Even if Bébé couldn't completely heal Mairin, she had done well for her level.

Alain laid a hand on Mairin's forehead, but found that her fever was still there. He pulled away from her when he saw the glare that Bébé was giving him, gulping. After swooping around Mairin once, Bébé floated off towards Chespie to check on him, releasing another Aromatherapy for him. Alain dug through his backpack, pulling out a Pokeball, and then looked at Mairin.

Alain reached towards her, wishing there was something more he could do to help her. She clearly needed water, but she couldn't drink at the moment. He couldn't cover her up with a blanket– she was overheated as it was. Alain clutched the Pokeball he was holding tighter in his hands, then took in a deep breath. He shakily pushed himself to his feet, limping away from Mairin and towards the other side of the cave. All he could do now was wait, and help her further when she awoke.

Alain fingered the Pokeball in his hands, knowing that he'd have to let her out sooner or later. He had nothing to do at the moment, so he might as well get it over with. He held up the Pokeball, a burst of light filling the room.

"Rrrhhh..."

Charizard let out a deep snarl as she was released from her Pokeball, her silvery eyes gleaming with rage. She whipped her head about, eyes glaring into Alain, who shifted guiltily. He had returned Charizard to her Pokeball against her will when they had been searching for Mairin. While he knew it the extra rest was for the best– since Charizard had driven herself to exhaustion over these last few days– he had known that she'd still be upset upon being released.

"H-hi Charizard..." Alain muttered uncertainly, looking away as Charizard drew in close, releasing a puff of hot breath on his face as she snorted. The dragon-like creature looked unamused as she glared over him, eyes narrowed. Alain almost expected to be blasted with a Flamethrower, but no attacks came his way– yet.

"Zar..." She growled, towering over Alain. She quickly scanned over him, before turning her attention towards the rest of the cave. Her silver eyes glared at Bisharp, flickered across Chespie and Bébé, before finally settling on Mairin. The rage drained out of Charizard's eyes, and the fire type made her ways over towards the girl. She lowered her head, sniffing Mairin's unconscious body, staring at the remains of her poisoning. She let out a small, concerned rumble, pressing her head up against the girl.

She then rounded on Alain, glaring at her trainer, the look on her face making it quite clear that he was to explain what had happened.

So he did.

* * *

Mairin felt herself slowly drifting into consciousness, her mind being pulled out of the murky thickness of sleep it had been sinking into. Her stomach churned as she felt her eyes flicker open, only for them to quickly press shut once more from the harsh light. The girl groaned, shifting. Her muscles ached at this action, her limbs burning with exhaustion. Her body felt like it had just ran a mile, but the stiffness of her limbs made it quite clear that she hadn't moved in sometime.

Mairin's eyes flickered open again, blinking in the light, which didn't seem quite as blinding as it had several moments ago. Her vision was a blurry mess, watery tears lingering near her eyes. She smacked her lips, mouth dry and throat begging for a drink. She wiped away the tears from her eyes, carefully pushing herself to her knees as she tried to take in her surroundings.

Her head spun dizzily as she sat up, but the sensation passed quickly as she looked around. A mass of gray stone met her blurry vision, which was slowly coming into focus. She blinked once more, uncertainly scanning the cave she had found herself lying in. She would have thought that she was laying in the sun due to the way her skin was burning with heat and dripping with sweat, but the only sunlight came from the narrow entrance, barely lighting up the dim cave. Mairin blinked again in confusion– she could have sworn that the light had been blinding her just moments ago.

She ran a tongue over her lips, trying to provide some moisture to the dryness, but it did little. She was soaked her her own sweat– causing her clothes to stick to her skin– but yet her mouth and throat were parched. She desperately looked around for anything to cure the undying thirst, only to find that she was resting on top of her sleeping bag. Her eyes searched for her backpack knowing that it couldn't be far– but she paused as she looked at a large green creature.

The Quilladin was leaning up against the cave wall, mouth open as he snored softly. The spines on his head drooped as he slept, and a small yellow creature was curled up on top of his head. As Mairin watched Bébé sleep soundly on the Pokemon's head, and she was soon able to realize just who the Quilladin was.

"Chespie," She whispered hoarsely, excitement in her voice. She stared at her evolved starter for a moment longer, memories slowly crawling into her mind as she started to remember what had happened. The smile on her face slowly began to slip away as the events from earlier came back to her, and she felt herself curling up, eyes wide. She shivered as the sensation of the cold gun being pressed to her head came to her mind, and she felt tears stinging her dry eyes.

Though she didn't make a noise, Chespie seemed to sense that something was wrong. He let out a small snort, eyes popping open as Mairin started crying. The grass type quickly sat up, eyes settling onto his trainer. The Quilladin leapt to his feet, the action awakening the Flabébé on his head.

"Din!" He cried, rushing towards his trainer.

"Chespie," Mairin whispered, eyes lined with tears, "You're okay!"

The Quilladin slammed into Mairin, wrapping his stubby arms around her. The force knocked her onto her back, but her sleeping bag cushioned the fall. A small smile flickered onto her face as she embraced Chespie. Bébé hovered above them, a small smile on her face. She swooped down, landing on Mairin's head. For a second the fear of what had happened to her retreated from Mairin's mind, simply savoring these few moments with her Pokemon.

"...Don't be rough with her..." A quiet voice said from the other side of the cave, and Mairin's two Pokemon went still, "...She's recovering..."

Chespie looked up towards Mairin, and he quickly got off of her. He had seemed to just remember that he was no longer a little Chespin, and couldn't jump up into her arms like he use to. Bébé remained on Mairin's head, but seemed to stiffen up at the sound of the voice. Mairin went quiet, and looked in the direction of who had spoken.

Alain was leaning up against his Charizard, both of whom had seemed to have just woken up as well. Bisharp was standing near them, arms crossed as if he were a guard for royalty. Charizard raised her head, cracking a smile when she saw that Mairin was awake, but the girl wasn't looking at the Charizard or Bisharp. Mairin stared at Alain, who refused to make eye contact. His gaze was focused on his hands, which were twisting nervously.

"...A-alain..." Mairin whispered, voice cracking.

Silence.

Nobody said a word, the Pokemon looking between the two humans to see what would happen next. After a minute Alain let out a sigh, attempting to rise to his feet. Charizard let out a snarl at this action, wrapping her claws around him and forcing him to stay sitting. Alain glared at the lizard, who snorted. They stared at each other for another moment, and finally Alain leaned back against Charizard's side in defeat.

"Fine! I'll rest! Bisharp– go get Mairin her water bottle," Alain snapped, "She needs something to drink."

Mairin didn't take her eyes off of Alain, even as his towering steel type trotted up to her, offering her the water her body was screaming for. She took the water bottle in her hands, greedily taking off the lid and chugging the contents. The liquid burned against her dry throat, the relief of finally having water in her system made every muscle want to relax and savor the moment.

But she didn't, simply lowering the bottle, gasping for breath. Her gaze was still locked on Alain, waiting to see what he'd do. He was looking at her now, those blue eyes full of hesitation and uncertainty. She raised the water to her lips once more, and Alain turned away.

"...How much do you remember?" He asked, lacing his fingers together as she closed the water bottle, setting it on the ground.

"I- um... They grabbed me... C-chespie evolved, and... and..." She gulped, her mind trying to piece together the events she had witnessed from her poisoned self, "Th-those people... th-they had a gun and they w-were– w-were–" She was shaking, panic rushing through her as the memories started to surface, "A-and the Aero-Aerodactyl wouldn't faint and b-blood on W-weavile–" Her words slurred together, fear racing through her as the memories came flooding back all at once, "E-everything hurt and I d-don't–"

"Hush," Alain cut her off, but his voice was gentle. She fell silent, still shaking, and Chespie pressed up against her, "Don't overwhelm yourself, you've been through a lot today," Alain sighed, "Bisharp managed to take out the Aerodactyl shortly after you lost consciousness, and Team Rocket fled after that," He snorted, "Cowards."

"H-how did we g-get here?" Mairin asked quietly, glancing at the cave.

"...I carried you."

"...Oh..." Mairin said softly, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She looked up at Alain, mind racing with questions. Her mouth opened, but she didn't know what to ask first. She looked at her Pokemon, who were watching Alain warily. They seemed to be feeling the same thing as her– the uncertainty if Alain was an enemy or ally.

Alain looked towards her again, "...The poison is out of your system for the most part thanks to Bébé– though I still think you should have some Pecha berries. Not only do you need something to eat, they'll help your body fight off what remains of the poison," Alain looked away once more, "I would get you some, but Charizard won't let me stand up because of my ankle."

He looked up at the lizard with a glare, who simply shrugged. Mairin's amber eyes flickered towards Alain's ankle, which was swollen and red. Had he carried her all the way out here with his ankle like? Mairin then noticed a piece of yellow cloth tossed to the side on the cave floor, and her hand went to her neck, realizing her scarf and poncho were gone. She shifted again, carefully going over the memories in her mind, trying to remember everything she could.

"W-were those people really Team Rocket?" Mairin suddenly blurted out.

Alain tore his gaze away from his Charizard. He studied Mairin, as if deciding if this a was question he should answer. After a moment he stiffed up, looking away, "...Yes. Why wouldn't they be?" Alain asked, voice slipping into its familiar cold tone.

Mairin hesitated, "W-why would they be in K-kalos? I've only h-heard of them being K-kanto and the surrounding r-regions!" She looked down, thinking back on what the Rockets had said to her and Alain. It was hard to recall exactly what had happened, but certain events had been seared into her memory, "And w-why were they after m-me– _us?_ You seemed to know that they w-would be here– h-how?! And- and they said that- that y-you didn't tell me something, wha-what did they m-mean–?"

"I'm sorry."

Alain's words were short and simple, cutting her off as she rambled off her questions. She fell silent as the apology escaped his lips– his tone racked with sorrow and guilt. She looked towards Alain, who was staring at his clenched fists.

"I-" Mairin began, but he cut her off once more.

"I'm so sorry, Mairin," He repeated, closing his eyes, "I- I was a coward– okay? I should have told you everything from the s-start, but I didn't. Instead I dragged you around, I made you feel scared, and didn't even try to change that. I couldn't accept the fact that you were in danger because of me– _again,"_ He glanced at Mairin for a moment, "From what I understand Team Rocket hasn't been in Kalos for long– but they were here long enough to kill Dexio."

Mairin blinked at the name– the name of the same person Alain was suspected of killing.

"Why they were after you is simple– they wanted to get to me. Team Rocket– they're... they're targeting people. Dexio had interfered with them in the past, and me– well– suppose I was simply too powerful for their liking," He leaned forward a bit, Mairin and the Pokemon watching him as he spoke, "I didn't even know what was going on until Mal- someone- gave me a warning. They told me that someone was going to die– I didn't know it was Dexio at the time– and that the blame was going to be put on me. I didn't believe her at first, I didn't want to, but they told me Dexio wouldn't be the only person targeted– that y-you would be as well."

Mairin took in Alain's story in silence, unable to form any words.

"I didn't want to believe her... but as soon as Dexio was found dead I realized she was right... I couldn't sit around, so I ran. I slipped away right before the blame was put on me, and I took off. To the police me running was all the evidence they needed to assume I was guilty and..." He trailed off.

"Zar," Charizard rumbled, laying her head on Alain's shoulder. He stroked her softly, quietly continuing.

"Everything happened just like she had told me... That meant that everything must be true, so that meant that Team Rocket was going to be coming after you..." Alain looked at Mairin, "The day I t-took you– it was no accident that those two Rockets were there as well. I _swear_ Mairin– I didn't want to force you into anything– but if I hadn't they would have killed you."

Chills raced up Mairin.

"...I was ashamed of what I did to you though. Even though I told myself I had no choice, I couldn't stand the idea that you had become afraid of me..." Alain looked away, "...So I did what I always did... I closed up– didn't tell you anything– and allowed myself to slip away behind a false 'me'... I pretended not to care... I just made you scared, and I didn't do anything to fix that..." Alain curled up, "I was suppose to be protecting you, but I couldn't even do that... They caught up to you... they almost killed you..." Tears stung Alain's eyes, "The only way I was able to even get close to helping you was having you poison yourself..."

Mairin recoiled as Alain suddenly slammed a fist into the floor of the cave.

"I'm so sorry Mairin..." Alain whispered, "I'm so sorry..."

Mairin lowered her head, saying nothing.

* * *

Alain's heart thumped as silence fell across the cave. His mouth was dry as he finished his story, the truth that Mairin had deserved from day one had finally been told to her. He didn't dare look at Mairin, knowing that his apology would mean nothing. 'Sorry' didn't fix what he had put her through, 'sorry' didn't change the fact that he had hidden the truth.

The heaviness in Alain's heart weighed him down even more when Mairin didn't speak, and he couldn't help but wonder if she didn't believe him. He wouldn't blame her, after what he had done. He didn't say another word, simply staring at his hands as he waited for Mairin to respond to what he had told her.

Then Alain heard the sound he hated the most.

Alain cringed as he heard the sound of Mairin crying, recoiling and jerking his head up. There was Mairin, still sitting on her sleeping bag, tears pooling in her amber eyes. Her whole body shook, though not with poison, and she lowered her head into her hands. She let out a loud sob, which felt like a knife through Alain's body. He sat up, panic in his eyes.

"Mairin–" He began, but then he heard the words that Mairin choked out between her tears.

"I- I- I'm _sorry!"_ Mairin sobbed.

"Wha–?" Alain cried, stiffening, "No– Mairin, no! Don't you dare apologize, you haven't done anything–!"

She looked up at him, which made Alain fall silent. Tears fell down her face, and the girl looked absolutely miserable. Most of the coloring of the poisoning had faded away, but not even that could comfort Alain as he watched her cry. She blinked, struggling to speak between her sobs.

"I- I-" She hiccuped, trying to form words, "I've b-been treating y-you- you like- l-like a criminal..." She whispered, trembling, "W-when you have j-just been- been protecting me..." She lowered her head again, bursting into a fresh wave of tears, "You're my b-best friend and I've b-been treating y-you like–"

"Mairin–!" Alain's voice failed him however as she suddenly sprang to her feet. The words died down in his throat as Mairin came running at him, and he felt a pair of small arms wrap around his waist.

Alain stared down at Mairin as she threw herself around him, shaking even more as she continued crying. Alain blinked several times as Mairin sobbed into his shirt. He didn't seem to know what to do, hands hovering uncertainly as he stared. She sobbed out a few words, but their meaning was muffled by his shirt, and she clutched him tighter.

"M-mairin!" Alain finally managed to say, and she let out a whimper, "M-mairin, let go of me, come on..." Alain's voice trailed off, but Mairin's tight hug didn't loosen. She continued to cry, all the grief, fear, and stress of the last few days being released all at once. Alain's gaze softened, realizing that for the first time Mairin felt safe enough to truly show her emotions. He gulped, looking up at Charizard, who sat behind him.

"Zar," The lizard grunted, nodding towards Mairin. Alain looked back down at her as she continued to cry– she needed comfort. He gulped, this was one thing he wasn't good at. Uncertainly he reached down, and wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace.

Mairin's sobs died down at bit as he did this, her sniffles filling the cave. His mind flashed back to several years ago– when Mairin had been the one to save him. She had dragged his unconscious body across the ice, to get him away from the fierce battle of the primal legendaries. After everything that had happened then, she had sought out comfort in form of a hug from him at that time as well.

"It's okay..." Alain whispered quietly, and Mairin pressed up closer against him. He lowered his head, closing his eyes as he held her tight. Mairin had done more than save him that one time– she had been the one to save him from himself. To pull from him from the shell he always tried to retreat in. She was the one thing in his life that never failed him, that was always there, the one thing that made him happy.

For the first time in weeks a true smile flickered onto Alain's face.

Though she still cried, no more sobs came from the girl. She remained pressed up in Alain's arms, shaking slightly. Alain gently rubbed Mairin's back, simply trying to soothe her. Soon even her shaking came to a stop, simply laying there in the hug quietly, none of them daring to break the gentle silence.

Alain didn't open his eyes until he heard a soft and quiet breathing coming from Mairin. He looked down at her to find her amber eyes closed, fast asleep in his arms. He shifted her slightly, but she simply nestled her head deeper into his shirt, drifting off further into her sleep.

"Mairin..." Alain whispered, though waking her felt like a crime, "...Mairin wake up... You can't stay here..."

She didn't even seem to hear him, remaining fast asleep. Alain's heart twitched, she looked so peaceful...

He knew he couldn't move her to her sleeping bag, his ankle had been pushed to its limits today. Alain glanced towards Mairin's Pokemon– who had fallen back asleep as well, curled up on her green sleeping bag. Bisharp had gone outside to join Tyranitar in keeping watch, leaving Alain and Charizard the only ones awake in the cave. He looked up towards Charizard, who he was still leaning against, and he shifted Mairin.

"Could you take her to her sleeping bag...?" He asked the lizard quietly.

Charizard regarded Alain for a moment, her soft silvery eyes gleaming. Charizard untucked a wing from her side, pulling it out from behind Alain. For a moment Alain expected Charizard to stand, so he leaned forward slightly– but the then lizard pulled him back against her side. Alain's eyes widened in surprise, and she flared open her wing. Charizard's wing was then draped across Alain and Mairin like a blanket, and the fire type laid her head down, ready to sleep herself.

"Charizard!" Alain exclaimed softly, not to awaken Mairin.

"Rah?" The lizard rumbled quietly, silver eyes gleaming, and Alain flushed.

"Charizard..." Alain growled, "Take her to her sleeping bag..."

Charizard's response was simply to close her eyes, letting out a huge sigh. Alain was left sitting there– Mairin's weight and Charizard's wing keeping him in place. Alain glared at his starter for a moment, blue eyes flickering with uncertainty. He looked over Mairin, and felt a wave of happiness rushing through him as realization settled into him.

Mairin trusted him again.

Alain wrapped his arms around Mairin once more, the feel of her heart and Charizard's echoing through his body. Though the sun had just barely begun to settle in the west, Alain felt his eyes closing, and he settled up against Charizard's warm body. The fear and guilt he had been fighting against these last few days seemed to drain from him, and at last he could rest.

* * *

 **...This may or may not be my favorite chapter...**


	12. Chapter 12 - Disagreements

**Sorry that I missed last week's update, I was really busy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 - Disagreements**

"Sophie, can we talk?"

Professor Sycamore tried not to flinch as Sophie stiffened, her green eyes scanning him.

"Sorry Professor, but I need to head home, my workday is over," She said, and Professor Sycamore closed his eyes. He hated that fake voice of hers, but it was the tone she always used around him now days. As if everything was okay, as if nothing had ever happened between them.

"This isn't about work Sophie," Professor Sycamore said, and he hesitated, "This is important, it's..." His mouth went dry, "It's about _before."_

Sophie's eyes went cold, her whole demeanor changing. 'Before'- their term for the time of when they were together. A time they pretended had never existed. Sycamore knew that Sophie hated it when he brought it up, he hadn't in years, but she needed to know what Agent Speaker had told him about their son...

About Alain.

"Augustine," She whispered coldly, and he flinched. She never used his first name these days unless it was necessary, "I believe I've made myself clear on discussing that," She quickly headed towards the door without another word.

Sycamore pressed his hand against the wall, blocking her exit with his arm, "Sophie, give me one minute, please! I know you don't like talking of those times and I'll never bring it up again, I promise. Just here me out– you need to know this!"

She glared at the arm blocking her path, "Know what, Professor?" She growled.

He shivered, did she truly hate what had happened? He had always looked back on when they were together fondly, but her tone...

He shook his head, trying to focus, "...The agent that was here yesterday... She... she spoke to me a bit about... about what happened between us. Asked me some questions and such, and she..." He felt his mouth going dry again, "She told me... about wh-what happened to our so-" No, that didn't feel right, "...to the child after we gave him up," He finished quietly.

Clearly this wasn't what Sophie was expecting hear. She recoiled, wide green eyes whipping up to meet his blue ones. Professor Sycamore looked away slightly.

"I can tell you more if you w-want," Sycamore said, withdrawing his arm so she could leave, "I j-just wanted you to–"

"Tell me!" The words seemed to be almost torn from Sophie's mouth, a desperation in her tone, "A-anything, p-please. M-my baby, p-please–"

He stared at her for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. He hadn't seen this side of her in so long. She stared at him, eyes hungry for the smallest of details. Sycamore felt his heart tighten, "You thought of the ch-child a lot, didn't you?" He asked quietly.

"...What mother doesn't think of their child..." She whispered back. Sycamore looked away, they had both agreed to give the child up for his sake, not because they hadn't wanted him. They had both agreed that he would deserve a family, one that could be there for him.

But now Sycamore knew that hadn't happened.

"...Sophie, I th-think you should know that his childhood wasn't... wasn't the best," Sycamore muttered.

"What happened?" There was a sharp edge in her tone, "What did the agent tell you?"

"...He was abused," Sycamore said, and a flash of anger crossed Sophie's eyes, "Speaker wouldn't say what happened, just that he was harmed..." Sycamore gulped, knowing he needed to tell her everything, but Sophie was in tears, crying before he could get another word in.

"Wh-what did we do..." She whispered, "W-we just– j-just thought that– We–"

"Sophie, listen to me, I'm not done–" He said, reaching towards her, but she smacked him away.

"What?!" She snarled, "Did you just think you could tell me that the- my- our- child has been- been-" More tears entered her eyes, "D-did you just think I'd be fine and–"

"It's Alain!" Sycamore cried, cutting her off, and Sophie went still.

"Wh-wha-?"

Sycamore took in a deep breath, "Sophie, it's Alain. Alain is our son."

* * *

For the first time in nearly a week, Mairin woke up feeling rested.

She let out a sigh, not wanting to open her eyes as she turned over, nestling her head deeper into her pillow as she slept. There was a strange, blissful feeling running through her, one that she didn't want to lose by getting up. She could feel her thoughts tugging away at her mind, the memories of yesterday slowly making their way through her head, each one dragging her more into a conscious state.

She grumbled to herself, not wanting to be drawn out of her peaceful trance, but her body betrayed her. A yawn escaped her mouth, while her muscles begged to be moved. She half heartedly began to stretch, slowly waking more as her eyes fluttered open.

She smacked her lips, staring around at the same gray cave she had awoken in yesterday. She stretched some more, slowly letting her rushing thoughts enter her waking mind. There was Chespie and Bébé, curled up on her sleeping bag, asleep. A smile crossed Mairin's face as she looked at the Quilladin, the idea that Chespie had evolved after all these years filling her with excitement.

She didn't sit up, simply letting her eyes slid shut once more as the events from the last few days entered her mind. She tried to keep her panic under control, simply trying to stay calm as she tried to get a full grasp on everything.

Team Rocket wanted her dead. Alain was not her enemy. He was protecting her– like he always did. They were currently somewhere in Kalos, technically on the run, but safe for now. She let each thought roll through her, simply taking them as a fact and not dwelling on them. She had cried enough these last days, she had lived in fear, and she had panicked enough. She could handle this, take everything one step at a time.

Her thoughts turned to her Pokemon, who were still fast asleep– clearly they felt safe. So she could as well. Chespie had evolved to protect her, she could do her part and not let herself get hurt again. A frown then crossed Mairin's face as she thought about them a bit more, if her Pokemon were asleep on her sleeping bag, then where had she been sleeping...?

"I know you're awake Mairin," A soft voice, "If you could sit up that would be nice– I can't feel my arm."

Mairin felt chills race through her as she heard Alain's gentle voice right above her. No, she could feel his words running _through_ her. Her eyes popped open again, looking straight up. There was Alain, still leaning up against his Charizard like he had yesterday. She felt her cheeks flushing as she realized she was pressed up right against him, her head using his chest as a pillow. Her back was digging into one of his arms, cutting off any blood flow through the limb.

He wasn't looking at her though, his gaze focused on his Holo Caster in his other hand. He was flicking through a series of messages, blue eyes distance. Mairin stared at him, not quite sure of what to do. He was currently looking at an image of several stones, lips pressed in a thin line. His icy gaze then moved from the Holo Caster to Mairin, raising an eyebrow.

She let out a small yip, quickly sitting up and scrambling away from him. He sighed, flexing his arm that Mairin had been laying on, "Thank you."

"W-why didn't you move me?" Mairin asked in a squeaky voice, still blushing.

His attention was back on the Holo Caster, "You were sleeping," He said simply. Several moments of silence filled the cave, and he took in a deep breath, "Besides, your sleeping bag was already in use," He jerked his head towards Mairin's Pokemon, "I wasn't about to leave you on the floor."

"Th-thank you," Mairin squeaked, "S-sorry-"

"Please, don't apologize," Alain muttered, scrolling through his Holo Caster, "It's my fault that you're involved in this. There's some food in the front pocket of my bag, near the mouth of the cave. I'm sure you're hungry, go and help yourself," He paused, looking up, "Don't touch anything else in my bag."

"Okay. Th-thank you," Mairin had a bit more control over her voice now. Alain nodded, staring at the Holo Caster again. Mairin inched her way towards his bag and shuffling through the front pocket. As promised there was some food, alongside Alain's Pokeballs. There wasn't anything that really caught Mairin's eyes, but she was too hungry to complain. After a moment she pulled out a granola bar, "Do you want anything?"

"Not hungry," He replied, not even looking towards her. Charizard snorted, drawing her head near Alain's face and growling. He ignored the Pokemon, simply sighing.

"What are you looking at?" Mairin asked as she bit into her granola bar.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Alain replied, and Mairin glared at him. He looked towards her for a moment, "...I'm looking through some messages. With the person that warned me about... everything."

Mairin swallowed before speaking, "Who?"

"That's between me and her," Alain replied.

"Come on!" Mairin said, glaring at him again, "If they saved my life I think I have the right to know!"

Alain flicked the Holo Caster off, turning to face Mairin, for the first time giving her his full attention, "I don't really like her, and neither do you. She's part of Team Rocket now," Mairin flinched, but Alain kept talking, "She risked a lot by telling us what she did- if word gets out of her life will be in danger."

"...Oh..." Mairin whispered softly, before sitting up and taking another bite of granola, "Well, I won't say a word to anyone! Is it someone we met when we were looking for mega stones? Because they sent you a picture of some, right?" Mairin asked, thinking back on the picture of the stones she had seen on the Holo Caster when she had first woken up.

"That was a picture of a Houndoominite," Alain said after a moment, staring at Mairin. She bit her lip, thinking back on the only Houndoom she had ever seen mega evolve before... Chills raced through her as the trainer came to mind.

"Malva?" She asked in a small voice, and Alain nodded. "But she was in prison!"

"Team Rocket is resourceful, they got her out," Alain replied, glancing down at the Holo Caster, "I was asking her where she got those stones– hers were taken from her after... after Team Flare," Alain muttered quietly, wincing.

"Why would you care where she got them?" Mairin asked, trying to keep her thoughts away from Team Flare, "You already found a new keystone and a Charizardite three years ago!"

Alain looked away, "I... I have two other Pokemon that can mega evolve..." He muttered quietly, "But no stones for them..."

Mairin stared at him, "What? You said yourself that you didn't want to involve yourself with–"

"Things are different now!" Alain snapped, his voice filling the cave, and Mairin flinched, "If I could mega evolve more Pokemon then maybe I could have protected you better yesterday!"

Mairin flinched again, the memory of the cold gun being pressed to her head washing over her.

Alain saw her expression, and his gaze softened at once, "I- I'm sorry," He said quietly, "I didn't–"

"It's fine," Mairin whispered, "It really is," She hesitated, "A-alain, I think we have more important things to worry about than mega stones. Your Pokemon are hurt- _you're_ hurt!" Her eyes flickered towards his swollen ankle, "We need to focus on those things first, not mega stones," She hesitated, "Is there a town near here?"

"We're north of Geosenge Town, probably a ten minute walk from here, if I had to guess," Alain crossed his arms, "What do you want me to do though, walk into a Pokemon Center and get medical help? I'd be arrested! I can't exactly just walk into a Pokemon Center at the moment!"

"No, you can't," Mairin said, "But _I_ can."

Alain stared at her, his eyes widening as he realized what Mairin wanted to, "No," He said, leaning forward, "No, you're not."

Mairin smiled, "Why not? I'm not wanted for murder, I can take your Pokemon to a Pokemon Center for you, it's perfect! They'll be healed up, and I could even buy us some supplies! Something for your ankle and–"

"I said no," Alain snapped, "Just because that the League isn't after you doesn't mean you're safe! Have you forgotten about Team Rocket, Mairin– they want you dead! You just can't go waltzing into a town!"

"I'll be careful!" Mairin protested.

"Careful like when you tried to run from me?" Alain asked coolly, "I'm sure you were being careful then, but yet I found you with ease every time you ran."

Mairin looked at him, "I- That's- that's not fair-!"

"What's not fair? That I'm right?" Alain's eyes grew cold, "I am not letting you risk yourself for me, never in a million years. You will stay with me, and that's final."

"What about your Pokemon?!" Mairin cried, "They're hurt! Weavile was _bleeding_ Alain! There was blood on her! Are you just going to leave them like that?!"

Alain flinched at the thought of his Weavile, "Th-they're in a Pokeball," Alain said stiffly, "They feel nothing while in it, and their injuries can't get worse. I won't let them out until we can find a way to help them," He hesitated, "Malva has been telling me of a few underground places I could probably enter safely, black markets and such. I'm sure there's a healer somewhere that could–"

"The black market?!" Mairin cried, leaping to her feet, "We have a way we could help your Pokemon with _real_ and _legal_ medical care, and you suggest the black market?! Why would there even be a doctor of any kind there?!"

Mairin's shouting had awoken her Pokemon, who were sitting up and blinking. Their tired eyes flickered between Alain and Mairin, uncertainty in their eyes as they watched the duo.

"Better than risking you," Alain replied.

"How is this even a risk? Do you think Team Rocket is going to be waiting in the Pokemon Center for me?" She pointed to the mouth of the cave, "I think we're more at risk here than in a city. They're expecting us to stay hidden, a Pokemon Center is probably the last place they'd be. Besides, what would they do to me in the middle of a town? There would be people watching!"

"And even if Team Rocket isn't there, what if one of those _people_ recognize you?" Alain asked, "I kidnapped you Mairin, people will be looking for you. They wouldn't just let you walk out of the town, you'd be taken to the police and questioned! Do you want that?"

"Better than letting your Pokemon stay hurt," Mairin whispered, and Alain gritted his teeth.

"They are fine," He muttered, "I won't let them out until I can help them," He looked away, "You're staying here, and that's final."

Mairin stared at him for a moment, part of her wanting to shake him out of his stubbornness, another part of her surprised about how concerned he was. The two friends glared at each other for a moment longer.

"...Fine..." Mairin muttered, looking down and hoping to look defeated, "I guess you're right..." She hesitated, stuffing her granola wrapper into her pocket, "Just promise that all of your energy will go to finding a way to help them, okay? Don't worry about mega stones or anything until your Pokemon are better."

"Okay, I promise," Alain said, voice softening. He turned his Holo Caster on again, looking through his messages once more.

Mairin nodded, moving towards her bag. She looked towards Chespie and Bébé, who relaxed now that the fight was over. Mairin hesitated, and looked at her Flabébé.

"I want you to see if you can help Alain's ankle at all, I know you're not a healer, but you're the best we got at now," She told her fairy type, "I won't be long," She added, picking up her bag.

Bébé nodded, and Alain looked up from his Holo Caster, "What do you mean you won't be long?"

"...I need some privacy at times you know..." She muttered, looking away. Alain stared at her for a moment. He then started to turn red, looking away as well, suddenly staring very intenstly at his Holo Caster.

"Oh... Um... I-" He fumbled over his words, "R-right... Um- d-don't go far... and take Charizard w-with you, okay?" Mairin recalled Chespie to his Pokeball, and Bébé drifted towards Alain's swollen ankle.

"Okay!" She chirped, inching towards Alain's bag. Charizard glared down at Alain, slipping away from the wall. Alain wouldn't look the lizard in the eye, who kept glaring at him. Mairin slowly reached into Alain's bag as he glared up at his starter, who growled.

"I promise I won't stand up unless it's an emergency," He muttered, and Charizard looked satisfied at this, "It barely hurts anymore..."

"I- I'll be back soon," Mairin said quickly, stuffing her hands into her pockets. Luckily Alain still wasn't looking at her, and didn't pick up on her sudden skittishness. He grunted something, and Mairin headed towards the cave exit. She squinted her eyes as she stepped into the sun, Charizard right behind her. She trotted a ways from the cave, slipping past Alain's Tyranitar, who was keeping watch, and then out of earshot. Mairin hesitated, then turned to look at Charizard, who was right beside her.

"Okay," Mairin said, and she pulled out four of Alain's Pokeballs. Mairin wasn't quite sure when Bisharp had been recalled– probably while she had been asleep. Charizard grinned, and Mairin felt herself relaxing, she had afraid for a moment that Charizard would side with Alain, "He said the probably a ten minute walk from here to town, right?"

"Zar," Charizard nodded.

"How fast do you think you could get me there by flying?" Mairin asked. Charizard paused, thinking, then held up all three of her claws on her one hand. She hesitated, then held up one more on the other, "Three or four minutes?" Mairin asked.

"Zar," She nodded again.

Mairin hesitated, then slipped Alain's Pokeballs away, right next to Chespie's, "Okay, here's the plan, you take me to town as quickly as possible, then come straight back here."

Charizard frowned. She clearly supported Mairin with getting the Pokemon healed– even if it was done behind Alain's back. But Charizard didn't seem quite as keen on leaving Mairin alone in town.

"If I'm gone too long Alain will know what I'm trying to do– he's not stupid– I'm lucky he was too focused on other things just now. You come back here and make sure he doesn't do something stupid like come after me on that hurt ankle of his. Remember when he hurt his shoulder that one time? He'll ignore injuries if he thinks it's the right thing to do."

"Zar-wah," Charizard nodded slowly.

"Hopefully by the time he realizes what I'm doing they'll be done healing the Pokemon," Mairin said quietly, "Just bring him to the edge of town and we can meet there. We'll figure out just where when we get there."

Charizard nodded once more, happy with this plan, and lowered herself to the ground. Mairin gingerly climbed onto the lizard's back. Charizard spread open her wings and prepared to take off. Mairin gulped, wrapping her hands around the metallic harness that held Charizard's mega stone. Though she had ridden on Charizard before, this was her first time doing it without Alain. Charizard bolted forward, flapping her wings and taking to the sky. Mairin yelped, throwing her arms around the lizard's neck and wishing that she had Alain's arms around her to keep her steady.

Charizard angled herself so she was facing south, and then took off towards Geosenge.

* * *

 **I am nearly caught up with the buffer chapters I have written out for this story. While I will still be aiming for once a week with updates, they won't be guaranteed like before starting next week, but I hope to be able to stick to my update schedule. :)**


	13. Chapter 13 - Forging Paths

**Chapter Thirteen - Forging Paths**

"And just how on earth to do you expect to find them– Alain has all of Kalos looking for him– you've seen the news!"

Professor Sycamore couldn't help but smile as he heard Sophie by his side– it had been so long since they've found themselves alone like this. Anytime they were together it was always for work, for the lab, but not today.

It was nighttime, and typically it would only be Professor Sycamore here at this time. But today Sophie had joined him, the two of them were up in the attic of the lab, Sycamore searching through the many discarded objects.

"Alain gave me the idea, to be honest," Sycamore replied, pulling up an old radio. He sighed, tossing it aside. He knew he had _it_ up here still, he wasn't one to throw things away. "You see, he sent me a message on an old communication device we used in the field when he was younger, something the International Police wouldn't think of looking through."

"...Our child was right in front of us..." Sophie muttered, "Right there and we didn't even know it..."

"We'll focus on that later, I just need to find–" He paused, pulling up a box that looked fairly new compared to everything else in the attic. Sycamore was grinning. "I think this just might be it Sophie!" He opened up the box, and nodded. "Yep, this is it! Let's get out of this stuffy attic now."

"...What is it?" Sophie asked uncertainly as he headed towards the ladder, the box tucked under one arm.

"You remember the Pokedexes we gave out a few years back," Sycamore said, jumping the last few rungs of the ladder, looking up as Sophie climbed down as well. "They used an older system to track data– and some of that data was the current location of the Pokedex. We upgraded to a new Pokedex about two years back you know, and I stored this thing up in the attic."

"And you're hoping this will help us... how? A-alain doesn't use a Pokedex," Sophie said uncertainly.

"No, Alain doesn't," Professor Sycamore said with a grin. "But Mairin does– and she just so happened to never bother getting an upgraded Pokedex– so she's still on the old system."

Sophie's eyes widened with understanding, "So we just hook this up–"

"–And then we have a free map to Alain and Mairin, one that no one else can use," Sycamore finished.

"Augustine," Sophie muttered, "You're a genius."

Sycamore beamed– more at the fact that she had used his name rather than at being called a genius.

* * *

Mairin gulped as she looked around Geosenge, shivering slightly as she made her way through the small town. She knew it hadn't been _that_ long since Alain had taken her, but still... Being in a town just felt so foreign to her now...

She kept her eyes glued to the ground, chills racing through her every time someone walked by her. No one paid her heed, except for perhaps a small glance as they passed.

Charizard had dropped her off in a small route near Geosenge Town, a series of wide fields covered with hundreds of huge stones going on for as far as the eye could see. Mairin and Charizard had promised to meet back up there within an hour. The lizard had then taken to the skies, leaving Mairin alone with Chespie's and four of Alain's Pokeballs.

Mairin took in a deep breath, raising up her head and forcing herself to look for the Pokemon Center. There was nothing suspicious about a trainer healing up their Pokemon, but there was with someone sneaking around the edges of a town. She just needed to act like a trainer on a journey and no one would give her a second glace. Her confidence improved somewhat as she squared her shoulders, pace increasing.

Mairin's muscles still felt drained from when she had been poisoned, but she didn't let that slow her down. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, scanning the town for her destination. Soon the bright red roof of the Pokemon Center came into view, and a smile pushed its way over her face. This would be so simple! Walk in, heal up everyone, then they were free! She and Alain could distance themselves from a town, and find safety away from Team Rocket.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Center!" The cheery voice of a Nurse Joy reached her ears as she entered the center. "What can I do for you today?"

Mairin took in a deep breath, taking out the Pokeballs from her pocket. She approached the counter, setting the five spheres in front of the pink-haired nurse. "Could you have my Pokemon healed up, please?" Mairin asked, smiling innocently. She hesitated, before adding, "They aren't in good shape, we were attacked by... a wild Pokemon."

She felt it would be better to mention something right away, rather than to wait to be questioned as to why the Pokemon were bleeding. Nurse Joy glanced at her, frowning slightly.

"Well, you don't look too well yourself, you're as pale as a ghost type!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. Mairin felt her palms going sweaty, and she shifted. Luckily the Pokemon Center was mostly empty, so she didn't have the pressure of acting in front of a crowd weighing on her.

"I'm just worn out from getting here," Mairin said, "Don't worry about me– I'm more concern about my Pokemon!"

"Of course honey," Nurse Joy, and Mairin flinched. Her words reminding her of the way Cassidy had spoken. Of course Nurse Joy looked nothing like the Rocket member, but the memory of what had happen was bad enough. "I'll be back as soon as they're healed up." She scooped up the spheres, taking them to the back to be healed.

Mairin let out a sigh of relief, and wandered over to the small shop of the Pokemon Center. She fished out some cash from her bag, which was buried at the very bottom of the backpack. They would need supplies if they were to be staying away from humans, and this would be the perfect time to grab some more. Besides, Mairin was determined to buy a belt for her Pokeballs– she didn't want to encounter another situation like the ditch again where she couldn't get to her bag in time. Chespie had evolved for her, it was about time she started acting like a serious trainer.

She paid for her items, quickly shoving them all into her bag without much thought– there would be time to organized everything later. She needed to be ready to leave the moment Alain's Pokemon were healed, not wanting to keep Charizard waiting when she was returned. There was also the fact that the more time she spent here the more likely she could be recognized.

She drifted by the front desk, but she saw no sign of Nurse Joy yet, and Mairin sighed, she was just rushing this. Alain's Pokemon were seriously hurt, healing would take time. Mairin forced herself to take in a deep breath, and sit down in the waiting area. Things would be ready when they were ready, and she would just have to wait. She leaned back into her chair, determined not to move from the seat until the Pokemon were healed.

Mairin lasted for two minutes.

Unable to keep herself patient and still by sitting, Mairin stood up and started pacing the Pokemon Center again. Sitting still had never been easy for her, she just couldn't focus by staying in one place! Moving around– whether by pacing or passing an object between her fingers– these were of the few ways she could keep herself focused and calm. Her parents had never seen it that way, always telling her to keep still and focus. Was it really that hard to understand that's just not how her mind worked?

Mairin soon found herself pacing in front of the video phones and computers the Pokemon Centers provided for trainers. She paused, looking over the electronics for a moment, staring. Settling in front of one, she decided to look up a way she could treat Alain's ankle, since he couldn't come in and get any help himself. Several clicks later her amber eyes were swiftly scanned over an article about sprained and twisted joints, however her mind far from what she was reading. She was sitting right next to a video phone...

She could call up her family right now if she wanted to.

Mairin's throat tightened, she was sure that they were at least worried about her since she had been kidnapped, right? She could end that worry with one call, to let them see her face. But at the same time... Would it be worth the risk of calling them just to say she was alright? She wanted them to at least know that she wasn't in danger, but she could also mess everything up by contacting them.

Mairin gulped, wondering if she missed them enough to call.

She was the youngest of three, with her brother nearly fifteen years older than her, while her sister was two years older than that– leaving her as the youngest by over a decade. The huge age difference wasn't the only thing separating her from her siblings though. Her sister was a doctor, organized and smart, bringing a steady income in for herself. Her brother was a Pokemon Performer, coordinated and refined, alongside being a father of her only niece.

Mairin had been basically an add-on with her family. A last minute, and possibly unplanned addition to her parent's perfect family. Her lack of direction in had life given her parents less interest in her, and the vast personality difference between them all made it hard to form a bond from something other than blood. Mairin recalled all too well moments her parents fawned over her niece in ways Mairin had never experienced herself growing up. The first few times seeing the affection she lacked had led to tears, but she had soon grown use to it.

She couldn't let anything get to her, she just had to keep smiling. As long as she was smiling no one would see that something was wrong, and her family would be happy with their life. There was no point in trying to earn their pity– she wouldn't want to bring a burden on her family. Mairin always tried to keep her distance, since she found that people were happier that way.

Then she had met Alain.

He had been cold, but he had still talked to her. Something about him had drawn her in– if this stranger could spare her a moment and be distant, then why couldn't her own family? She had realized that he could be the key to finding a way to truly connect with the ones she longed to be with, and with that she simply couldn't leave him behind. Perhaps she had been forceful, throwing herself onto his journey, but she had _needed_ him.

Then there was mega evolution.

Something new, amazing, _powerful._ Mairin couldn't bring herself to sit still to study and become a doctor like her sister. She was too clumsy to ever perform like her brother. Battling was something everyone seemed to aim for these days... but mega evolution had been something new. It could bring her power, it could make her different, it could make her worth her family's time– a skill she could master!

It had all seemed too perfect at the time, not only could Alain show her the way to interact with those that pushed her away, but she could learn how to make out something for herself.

But that had all changed when she had truly gotten to know Alain.

It had been so different to have someone there that constantly cared for her, someone that would answer her questions– even if he was clearly annoyed. That's was different from her family, who would simply tell her to run off and do something else if she was getting under their skin. Alain would at least give her his time, he would acknowledge her, look at her! It had all felt so new– something Mairin just didn't want to lose! Then Alain had started to come out of his shell, to show Mairin more and more of his true self.

It was through him that Mairin learned what a friend truly was.

Her desperation to unlock her family's heart had faded– because she already had someone she cared deeply about. Mega evolution still fascinated her, but she didn't want it for the sole purpose of impressing her family– she wanted it to be like Alain. To become like the first person who had let her into their life, to be like the one who had never failed to protect her. Everything had become about him, Alain was the person she couldn't lose.

Alain had been the one who had cared, who had helped her, who had protected her. He had become more than a friend.

He felt like family more than anyone else ever had.

It was true they had become distant these last few years, but her desire to be with him hadn't faded. She had wanted to travel by Alain's side again, and now that was happening again, even if it hadn't come from the most ideal situations. There may have been those few days she had feared him after he had taken her, but some part of her had seemed to trust him even then– And in the end he had proven that he was just trying to protect her.

Once again Alain was the only human that was truly there for her.

Mairin pulled her hand back from the video phone– risking Alain was not worth talking to her family.

"Mairin Floraison?" A voice called, and Mairin raised her head. Nurse Joy was standing behind the counter, looking towards her. She had a small smile on her face, but yet her eyes seemed distant. "Your Pokemon are all healed up, if you could just come back here please."

"Sure thing!" Mairin chirped, pulling herself away from the video phones and computer, closing out of the article about twisted joints. Nurse Joy smiled at her as she went up to her, and she stepped away so Mairin could follow her into the back. A Wigglytuff was walking by Nurse Joy's side, looking up at its trainer.

Mairin frowned slightly as she followed the nurse. Didn't the nurses just usually hand the Pokeballs back at the front counter?

"The Unfezant and Weavile had the worst wounds, while the Quilladin had remains of a Toxic in his bloodstream," Nurse Joy said as they walked. "However they are all fully healed now, though they still need plenty of rest. They are bandaged up and shouldn't battle for at least a week."

Mairin glanced at Nurse Joy uncertainly, she looked tense. The nurse lead her into a small room, shutting the door behind them. Mairin suddenly stopped in her tracks as realization washed over her face.

"...I never told you what my name was..." Mairin whispered quietly– but yet the nurse had used her name just a minute ago.

"That is correct," A new voice said, and Mairin whipped around, eyes widened as she looked at the speaker. Marin stumbled back, running into Nurse Joy as she stared at the woman in front of her. "Joy recognized you from the news and called me up right away."

Mairin paled as she found herself standing in the presence of an Officer Jenny.

Nurse Joy placed a hand on Mairin's back. "It's okay, you're safe now, Mairin."

* * *

Charizard sighed as she landed outside of the cave where Alain was. While leaving Mairin alone hadn't been something she wanted to do, Charizard knew that they'd be better off in the long run if the rest of her teammates were at full health before they continued on. Alain had told her about the fight with the Aerodactyl (she was upset she hadn't been used in that battle), and she knew they would need everything they had if they came across another strange Pokemon like that.

'Hey Tyranitar,' Charizard grunted as she approached her teammate, who was standing guard. The rock type looked at her, snorting.

'I wish you luck,' He muttered quietly as she approached the cave.

Charizard frowned, '...What are you talking about...?'

Tyranitar snorted again, 'The Boss ain't too happy with you. Did you honestly think he wouldn't notice you dragging off the chatterbox against his word?'

Charizard stiffen, 'You didn't tell him, did you?!'

Tyranitar grinned, 'When he asked I did.'

Charizard growled at Tyranitar, wanting to do nothing more but to run a Dragon Claw across his smug face. She was suppose to keep Alain busy until it was time to go meet up with Mairin! How was she suppose to do that now that he knew?!

"...Where's Mairin, Charizard?"

Chills ran up Charizard's back as she heard Alain's tone. She whipped her long neck around, finding herself being glared at by a pair of icy blue eyes. Alain was limping from the cave entrance, Mairin's yellow scarf wrapped around his ankle once more, her hat clutched in his hand. Bébé was hovering by Alain's shoulder, shrinking back uncertainly at his tone, and she drifted back into the cave.

There was little that could get between Alain and Charizard– her trainer was not only someone she trusted– but someone she loved. When she had first met Alain he had been a determined, but fearful boy. Afraid to show who he was, so he hid by pushing himself. Alain still feared many things, but now he had changed. He knew how to face those fears, and Charizard had learned to put trust into his words, knowing that he'd guide her through any threat.

She had been an energetic Charmander, wanting to see every inch the world had to offer. Alain had given her that, and more. He had made her strong and powerful, pushing her limits without hurting her. She had been the one he had first put trust in since his broken childhood, and through their years together they had become family.

Even their few little disagreements and fights these last few days had been nothing more than sibling squabbles, results of the tension of their current circumstance.

But never had Charizard seen Alain this angry at her.

The lizard couldn't help but recoil as Alain took a limping step towards her, his eyes almost glowing in his rage. She knew Alain had a temper– one he could usually keep simmering and hot– but never had it been fully directed at her before. The mega stone over her chest grew cold as Alain glared at her, and Charizard gave him a low growl as he stepped forward.

"I don't care if I'm standing up," Alain growled back bitterly, fists clenched. "You took Mairin to town, I'm not stupid Charizard."

'I know,' Charizard muttered, though he couldn't understand her. Alain raised a Pokeball, and for a moment she was afraid that he'd withdraw her into it again. Instead he recalled Tyranitar with a burst of light, leaving them alone.

"What? Did you think I wouldn't notice how long you were gone? Or how all my Pokeballs vanished?" Alain asked coldly.

Charizard snorted, saying nothing. She knew that he would notice– she had just hoped it would take him a bit more time to do so. Alain was very smart, but tended to only focus at one thing at a time, often blinding him from what went on around him.

"Not only did you take her to a town– but you come back without her?" Alain look another limping step forward, shaking with rage. "I trusted you to look after her! The last thing I wanted was for her to be alone! How could you just abandon her when someone tried to _kill_ her yesterday?!"

Charizard turned, snapping her jaws angrily. 'Well– why do you refuse to trust her?! Even after every horrible thing you've done to the poor girl she still puts all of her faith in you! She had an idea to help your Pokemon– to help _my_ teammates, and you just push it off like it doesn't matter!' Charizard tensed, 'Would you have just left me bleeding in my Pokeball if it was me? Is that just something you think you can do to us– lock us up the moment we're weakened?!'

To Alain all he heard was a series of snarls and growls, but Charizard's tone carried her message quite clearly. She snorted in his face, sending a plume of smoke over him. He waved it away, glowering. She knew that Alain was only worried about Mairin– but he was ignoring everything else because of that!

"Her life isn't worth risking," Alain muttered, trembling as he fought to keep his rage under control.

'What about her trust?' Charizard asked, 'You've lost it once– are you going to just let it slip away again?'

"You betrayed my trust, Charizard," Alain whispered bitterly, and Charizard felt herself going still. Her silver eyes stared into her trainer's blue ones, and she realized that he meant every word. The fire type blinked slowly, the words rebounding in her mind.

'Alain–'

"I don't care what you're trying to say Charizard– you're going to take me straight to Mairin right this instant!" Alain snapped. "I don't care if I have to barge into the middle of a town to do so– you're taking me there now!"

Charizard tensed– half wanted to pin Alain down and show him just how much power he had over her. She was bigger, she was stronger, she would not be pushed around like this! Charizard felt her lips pulling back, wings flaring open to make herself look larger. She drew up in front of Alain, rattling her scales as he stood in her shadow. The fire on her tail crackled with her rage, claws twitching.

Charizard stared down into her trainer's eyes, and for a second she saw the smallest flicker of fear.

Charizard's rage died down at once, even as Alain's gaze hardened again. Charizard swung her head away, wings folding back at her side. What was she doing...? She closed her eyes, memories of an eleven year old Alain huddling in the corner of the lab, a young Charmander trying to calm him of the nightmare that had awoken him. Charizard opened her eyes, wondering why she was letting something so small get her angry at her human brother.

'I'm sorry,' Charizard rumbled quietly, but her apology was lost as a series of growls to the human ears. Alain turned away, and Charizard let out a small sound. She lowered herself onto four legs, laying her head onto Alain's shoulder. He stiffened, and she let out another apologetic rumble. For a moment Alain didn't move, before turning and wrapping both arms around her muzzle.

"What's wrong with me?" Alain muttered, stroking her softly. "I... I didn't mean that Charizard, I still trust you!"

Charizard sighed, not quite believing him. She knew that he was being sincere, but she still had turned his trust away. He had been worried about Mairin, and she had lead her into danger– but Charizard still believed she had done what was for the best– she just could have gone about this in a better way.

"Will you take me to Maririn?" Alain asked. There was still an edge in his voice– his mind still wasn't off of Mairin yet. Charizard lowered herself to the ground, allowing Alain to mount her. She felt her mega stone growing warm as Alain vaulted onto her back, and she was glad that this hadn't risen to something more. Once Alain was settled onto her back Charizard glanced at the cave, and Bébé drifted back out uncertainly.

'We're going to find Mairin.' Charizard explained, not sure how much of the argument the fairy type had heard. The Flabébé nodded, drifting towards Alain. Once she was safely on his shoulder Charizard open her wings, ready to take to the sky.


	14. Chapter 14 - Reunion

**_*Blows off the dust on the story.*_ **

**Heh, it's been a while, hasn't it...? Sorry it's been so long since an update, I honestly never meant for it to be this long!**

 **Anyways, I'm back! I don't know how often updates will be from here on out, they won't be weekly like before, but I promise it won't be months either! I'm going to be aiming for an update about every other week, more if possible.**

 **Here's a brief summery of what's happened the last few chapters, just since it's been so long:**

 _After saving her from Team Rocket, Alain had finally regained Mairin's trust and has told her the truth of their situation. However a disagreement arises on what to do with Alain's injured Pokemon, several of them even bleeding from the Aerodactyl's brutal attacks. Mairin in the end sneaks out on Charizard to take Alain's Pokemon to a Pokemon Center and to buy supplies. However in the end she is recognized, and is confronted by Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. Back at the lab Professor Sycamore and Sophie have learned that Alain is their birth son, and are attempting to track down Mairin's Pokedex to find them. Meanwhile Alain wants to go after Mairin after figuring out what she has done, leading to a fight between him and Charizard for her taking Mairin to a town. While apologies are given, there is still a tension between them as they head to Geosenge after Mairin._

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen – Reunion**

Mairin tried to take another step back, but Nurse Joy steadied her. Mairin couldn't tear her eyes away from the Officer Jenny, skin paling as she stared at the officer that had said her name. Never before did she think that she'd be afraid of a police officer, but here she was, fear racing through her. Officer Jenny was wearing a comforting smile, but Mairin wanted to bolt and run– they knew who she was.

"I- I-" Mairin was shaking, trying to find the words she needed to say. "I- I think you have the wrong person!" She blurted out desperately, though she knew that she wouldn't be believed.

"I believe the Quilladin she brought in is the Chespin she was reported to have with her." Nurse Joy told Jenny, her hands on Mairin's shoulder in what was suppose to be in a comforting way. "All the other Pokemon match what was reported of that man– there's no sign of the Flaébé that was said to be on her team. All of the Pokemon were in rough shape, I wouldn't be surprised if the Flabébé was being used against her to have his Pokemon healed up."

"Sounds reasonable," Jenny said, her eyes still on Mairin. "It's alright Mairin, I just need you to stay calm, and I'll help you."

"Where are Alain's Pokemon!" Mairin cried, pulling out of Joy's grasp. Would they have taken them away...?

"I healed them all up, they are Pokemon after all– it's my job," Nurse Joy said. "It's okay, I placed them back into their Pokeballs, you can calm down."

"G-give them to me!" Mairin cried. "Y-you need to give them to me!"

"Honey, they belong to a–"

"Where are they?!" Mairin demanded, tears stinging her eyes. Alain had been right– she was recognized too easily. She may have messed up, but she couldn't lose his Pokemon as well. How would they be treated since people thought they belonged to a murderer? She couldn't live with herself if something happened to them!

Officer Jenny was watching her closely. "...Let her hold the Pokeballs if that will calm her– if the Flabébé is truly being threatened then it makes since that she'd panic. Get the Pokeballs and have her sit down–"

"Quit talking like I'm not here!" Mairin cried, startled at herself as she yelled. She wasn't a calm person by nature, but she also wasn't one to lose her temper. She huffed as she tried to catch her breath, sweat running down her neck.

Joy guided her over to a chair, and Mairin was so exhausted that she didn't fight them. The redhead remained tense however, until a tray with five Pokeballs were set into her hands. She didn't glance up as Nurse Joy sat down next to her, simply quickly glancing over the Pokeballs. She recognized Chespie's right away, but she was afraid that they might have taken Alain's. She looked over the spheres, not quite sure if they were Alain's or not, but they did look a bit older. She supposed that this meant it were his, and relaxed in the slightest.

"Now," Jenny said. "Just breath, Ms. Floraison. I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you can give me the answers when you're ready, alright?"

Mairin tensed, glaring up at Jenny. As if the situation wasn't bad enough– now they were acting like she was a child. The only good thing was that they saw her as a victim, not as a criminal like they would with Alain. That and the fact she had Alain's Pokemon still. She picked up the Pokeballs one by one, slipping them away into her pocket, ready to bolt the moment she had the chance.

"Can you tell us the last place you saw Alain Vide?" Officer Jenny asked slowly, as if Mairin wouldn't understand her otherwise.

"No," She snapped, once again surprising herself with her coldness. But then again these were people that wanted to bring Alain harm.

Jenny didn't seem surprised or frustrated at this answer. "I know you've gone through a lot this last week, but you're safe now. Just breath, Mairin, and we will help you. Alain will not hurt you again, just relax."

A week? Had it really been a week since Alain had taken her? Had it really only been a day since she had feared Alain? It felt like it had been much longer.

"Alain didn't hurt me." Mairin growled. "He's been protecting me."

Jenny and Joy glanced at each other as Mairin said this. Joy looked worried, while Jenny sighed, speaking in a hushed tone to the nurse.

"Isn't an uncommon thing," She muttered, "Victims caring for their captor, it's a mental defense, though sometimes it's just manipulation. We just need to talk her through this, remember she's under a lot of stress–"

"I can hear you," Mairin snapped. "And I'm not being manipulated! I am not in danger, and- and I don't think you have any right to keep me here against my will," She hesitantly stood up. "I'll- I'll just g-go–"

She stiffened up as Nurse Joy gently wrapped her arms around her shoulder. "Please, Mairin, just sit down. We are not your enemies. We're here to help you, we just need you to calm down. We're going to help you get back to your family. You want to see them, I'm sure."

Her family? The people who had barely glanced at her throughout her life, or the one person who did everything for her sake? The ones who left her behind out of convenience, or the person who had left to protect her? The people who cared for her– or the one who had cared _about_ her?

"...Alain is my family..." Mairin whispered– Alain was far more than a friend to her, she cared about him with every fiber of her being, and she knew that he felt the same. She felt warm just by looking at him, she just wanted to be near him. That's what family was supposed to be like– right?

Officer Jenny looked like she was about to say more, but then her phone started ringing. With a sigh she plucked it off of her belt, shooting a meaningful glance at Joy, before answering the phone and turning away. Nurse Joy placed both hands on Mairin's shoulders, who quickly pulled out of her grip, glaring up at the nurse. Joy returned the glare with a look of pity, which only fed Mairin's anger.

She needed to get out of here.

"Chief Jenny speaking," Officer Jenny said into the phone, and Mairin could dimly hear the muffled rambling of someone on the other line, though she couldn't make out the words. Whatever news Jenny received wasn't good however, her eyes widening as she listened to the speaker. "Wh-what? Here, in town? Are you sure, Officer?"

Mairin eyed the officer curiously, while Joy stood by anxiously.

Jenny pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as if she had a headache. "I'll be there right away– make sure all citizens get indoors. Surround him– but do not engage unless it's necessary!" Jenny ordered, and Mairin blinked. "Do not provoke him in anyway– he is dangerous!"

With that Jenny hung up her phone, while Mairin's eyes widened. While she had only heard one side of the conversation, it wasn't hard to piece together what had happened. She should have guessed that Alain would have noticed her absence quickly– and now he had come after her.

"Wait!" Mairin cried, leaping out of her seat as Jenny slipped her phone away. "He's not dangerous– please don't hurt Alain!"

Jenny glanced towards them. "Keep her indoors, don't let her leave this room," Jenny told Joy. The nurse wrapped her arm around Mairin, nodding. Mairin tried to pull free, but before she could do a thing Officer Jenny was running out the door, leaving Mairin alone with Joy, who refused to let go of her.

"Now, why don't you just sit down, honey–" Joy began.

"Don't call me that!" Mairin cried, flinching. It wasn't the nurse herself, though Mairin didn't like her, but the word reminded her too much of the way Cassidy had spoken. And any thought of Team Rocket only brought back memories of the gun being pressed to her head– and Mairin just couldn't bare the thought of it. "L-let go of me!"

While the remains of the Toxic was long out of Mairin's system, the poison had weakened her. Nurse Joy guided her back to her chair with little effort, Mairin's muscles aching as she tried to struggle. Joy wasn't trying to hurt her– Mairin knew that– but she was still being forced here against her will!

Mairin found herself panting as she was sat back into the chair, her muscles shaking slightly. Mairin glanced desperately at the door– the police were going after Alain! This wasn't fair– she had been the one to come to town! If she would have just listened to him then this wouldn't have happened! Once look at Nurse Joy made it quite clear that she wasn't going to be allowed to leave anytime soon.

She would have to think her way through this.

"Wh-what's going to happen to Alain?" Mairin asked quietly, not sure of what she was trying to do, but she knew that silence would get her nowhere.

"You don't need to worry about that, honey," Nurse Joy said, patting Mairin's back as she flinched.

"...He's not dangerous. He didn't hurt me," Mairin said softly, but the nurse just shook her head. Of course no one would believe Alain was innocent– it had taken Mairin a week to realize that for herself, and she was someone close to Alain.

She still felt horrible that she had doubted him.

"I know you're confused right now, but you don't need to worry. You're safe now, you're going to be seeing your family soon," Joy said.

Mairin pressed her lips together, talking was making little progress. She just wanted to bolt for the door and find Alain before he was hurt. She remembered the gun strapped to Jenny's belt– they wouldn't shoot Alain, right?!

She felt her panic rising at the thought of the gun, and Mairin struggled to keep her thoughts under control. She need to focus if she wanted to get through this, if she wanted to help Alain. Joy's arms were wrapped tightly around her shoulders– she wouldn't be getting anywhere easily– and she most certainly didn't want to hurt anyone to get out of here. She needed to lower Joy's guard for any chance to break free.

"...My family...?" Mairin asked softly, purposely making sure her voice sounded meek. "I'm really going to see them again?"

What better way to lower her guard than to play along?

Nurse Joy gave her a gentle smile, patting her once more. "Yes, real soon, I promise you. You're safe now."

Mairin pretended to hesitate. "S-safe?"

Nurse Joy loosened her grip on her shoulders, coming around so she was standing right in front of Mairin. The look of pure concern in the nurse's eyes did make Mairin feel bad for tricking her– Joy really did seem to care for her. But that 'care' would only lead to Alain's harm– she needed to get out of here. This was for the best.

"Yes Mairin, safe. I don't know what that man said to you– but he had no right to take you with him," Nurse Joy's eyes were soft. "We're going to make sure you're taken back home to where you belong, I promise."

 _You have no right to keep me here._ Mairin thought, but she didn't let her bitterness show, nor her panic. Even if Nurse Joy meant well, she still was keeping Mairin here– which meant Alain was alone with the police after him. Mairin didn't know was difference she could make against the law, but it was definitely more than she could by waiting by in here.

Mairin allowed her panic to drive several tears to her face, and she nodded slowly. Joy smiled softly, slowly pulled her arms back, finally freeing Mairin of her grip. Mairin didn't bolt right away, simply turned to the side as if she wanted to be alone. She felt her heart racing, but Nurse Joy didn't do anything. Mairin eyed the door, all she needed was for Nurse Joy to step away from her...

Mairin was not a patient person, but she just had to wait.

She slowly counted to sixty in her mind, hands twitching as she forced herself to stay sitting. Once she reached sixty she started over, trying to keep herself still. It wasn't until she had nearly reached two minutes of counting that Nurse Joy moved away, looking nervously towards the window. She uncertainty looked out at the street, glancing down the road. Mairin hesitated only to make sure that the nurse's attention was held– then Mairin ran for the door.

Nurse Joy turned around as she heard Mairin's footsteps, eyes widening when she saw Mairin at the door. The girl didn't paused, simply throwing open the door and running down the hall. She could feel Alain's Pokeballs in her pockets– she needed to get them back to him.

"Wait!" Nurse Joy cried, but Mairin only ran faster. She bolted out into the main section of the Pokemon Center, eyes focused on the front doors.

"Wiggly!"

A Wigglytuff stepped in front of the sliding doors, arms held out. The little nurse hat on his head was enough to show that he belonged to Nurse Joy, and Mairin skittered to a halt. The Wigglytuff puffed up, as if trying to make himself look bigger, and Mairin looked back at Nurse Joy.

"Come on Mairin," Nurse Joy held out her hand. "You need to calm down."

Mairin grabbed Chespie's Pokeball, sending out the Quilladin. "Chespie, use Pin Missile on Wigglytuff!"

"Quill!" He cried, the spikes on his head glowing green. The Pin Missile was fired at the fairy type, who blocked the attack with a Protect. Mairin bolted forward, which seemed to startle the Wigglytuff– he was a healer, not a battler. Chespie curled up into a ball, racing forward and slamming into him with a Rollout. The rock type move sent the Wigglytuff flying out of the way– clearing the path to the door. The sliding doors slid open as she approached, and Mairin ran outside, the Quilladin rolling right alongside her.

"Mairin!" Nurse Joy cried, but Mairin bolted between two buildings, running onto the street on the other side. It seemed the police had done as Jenny asked– there was no one outside. Chespie uncurled, running alongside her as Mairin sprinted around the corner, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the Pokemon Center as she could. She stumbled a few times in her run, but luckily managed to keep herself from falling.

"I– think– we– lost– her–!" Mairin gasped for a breath of air between each word as she stumbled to a stop, looking about, hands on her knees as she tried to compose herself. They were in a small shopping district– all of the stores had their lights off and doors shut– which was strange to see in the middle of the day. It was almost sad to see how afraid people were of Alain. Mairin glanced down at Chespie, who was panting as well.

"Din?" He asked weakly.

"We need to find Alain– the police are after him," Mairin explained hastily. She didn't have the energy to run, but she forced herself to walk. Trainer and Pokemon pushed forward through the eerily silent streets, looking for any sign of their friend.

* * *

Alain's heart was thumping as Charizard flew above Geosenge Town, scanning the empty streets for any sign of Mairin. He could feel Charizard tensing as they watched people scrambling inside, doors being locked. It seemed that people had recognized him, or word had gotten out of his arrival, the whole town basically going into lockdown. He didn't care– he just needed to find Mairin.

"Land, Charizard," Alain ordered, and Charizard whipped her head around, silver eyes wide. "Mairin is probably going to be inside somewhere, we won't locate her from the air. Land, now."

Charizard regarded him for a moment, before going into a dive. There was still a tension between him and the lizard, and Alain did feel bad for what he had said to her, but it was Charizard's fault that Mairin was here in the first place.

But he wasn't about to go pointing fingers at the moment– especially when she could easily point a claw in return.

Charizard landed, folding her wings to her side as Alain hopped off of her back. They were in a neighborhood, which probably wasn't the best place for him to be, the police would probably freak out. But it wasn't his fault that they thought he was a murderer– though the thought did send chills rushing through him. He forced himself to keep moving, simply looking for where Mairin could possibly be.

The Pokemon Center was probably the best place to start, though he didn't really know where it was, he had never been in this part of the city before. Charizard followed him through the streets, head held high as she tried to keep an eye out for him. Alain's eyes were simply scanning the homes and windows– looking for some sign of Mairin.

He turned out of the neighborhood, making his way down a main road. It was kind of creepy for what should have been a busy street to be so deserted. He could hear Charizard's claws clicking against the asphalt, alongside his footsteps.

"There's a shopping center up ahead," Alain pointed down the road, and Charizard followed his gaze. "It seems the center of town is up ahead, the Pokemon Center probably won't be far from there."

"Zar," Charizard rumbled. He couldn't tell if she was agreeing with him, or if she was still frustrated with him.

Perhaps both.

Alain sighed, never having felt so torn. He felt bad for what he said to Charizard, and at the same time he was still angry. It was the same with Mairin, pure worry at her running off with Team Rocket still about, alongside his frustration for putting herself in danger.

And while he didn't want to admit it, gratitude that she cared so much about his Pokemon.

"Freeze! Hands in the air!"

Alain stiffened as he heard the shouts, but Charizard sprang right into action. The lizard swung her tail around, knocking Alain to the ground. He groaned on impact, Charizard standing over him protectively. She spread open her wings, embers dancing across her body as she towered over him, snarling. Her silver eyes gleamed, eyes glued out towards where the shouts had come from, a Flamethrower forming in her mouth.

"Order the Charizard to stand down, we have you surrounded!" The policeman shouted again, and Alain closed his eyes.

"How many are we dealing with?" He asked Charizard quietly.

She glanced around, growling quietly. He could hear the steps of the police coming closer, and Charizard fired off a Flamethrower as a warning shot.

"Too many for us to handle, huh?" Alain said, chuckling to himself, even though the situation didn't call for it. He guessed that deep down some part of him didn't accept the fact that he was wanted by the law. He pushed himself up into a sitting position, glancing about.

There seemed to be about six officers total, and about twice as many Pokemon. The Pokemon were pacing around him and Charizard, while the humans hung back, guns aimed at him. They hadn't fired off any shots yet, and none of them seemed to have any intentions of coming closer. That gave him some time, he supposed.

Alain frowned– and it gave them time for backup as well. He looked over their Pokemon once more, he saw no flying types. Of course the guns were still an issue, but if it came down to it Charizard could grab him and fly away.

Not that he'd leave without Mairin– he couldn't give Team Rocket another chance to harm her.

"Charizard, don't attack!" Alain called, a bit louder than necessary, but he didn't want the police to shoot her thinking she was going to attack. Alain pushed himself to his feet, while the policemen all tensed. "I don't have any weapons, I'm not a threat to you!"

"Take off the key ring!" One of them snapped, and Alain scowled– that wasn't happening.

"I don't want any complications– where's Mairin?" Alain asked, knowing that they had to have had her. He knew that Mairin would have never sold him out, but the police were assembled too quickly for his liking. They must have found Mairin and prepared for him.

"The girl is in custody, but we're not going to tell you where," One of them said. "Take off the key ring, the bag, and put your hands into the air– then we'll talk. We do not wish to bring you any harm."

 _I doubt that, seeing how you think I'm a kidnapping murderer._ Alain thought bitterly.

Well, technically he _was_ a kidnapper.

"Well, I have a hard time believing that with the guns pointed at me," Alain said, trying to stall for time. Charizard's eyes were flickering about, looking for some chance to slip away. "But luckily for you I don't want to cause anyone harm either. So tell me where Mairin is, and I'll be on my way."

Alain knew that this wasn't going to work– he just needed to find an opportunity to slip away that wouldn't get Charizard hurt. He wasn't sure if there'd even be one.

"We're not here to chat, Vide," A cold voice said, and Alain found himself stiffening. The police officers shifted, allowing another officer to enter their ranks. It only took Alain a moment to recognize her as an Officer Jenny, but that was not the reason why he had stiffened.

She had called him Vide– legally his last name– but it was part of his past that he had abandoned years ago.

He would not share the same name of the man that he had once called father.

"...but if you refuse to cooperate we will take you by force," Officer Jenny continued, and Alain's head jerked up– he hadn't even been listening. Charizard rolled her eyes at this, claws twitching as she continued to scan the officers. "Recall the Charizard and put your hands in the air– and then we'll talk."

Alain's lips pressed together– Team Rocket wanted Mairin dead to frame him. But if he turned himself in, they wouldn't have a reason to kill her since he's already be in their hands. And clearly he wasn't about to walk out of this situation... could this possibly be for the best?

Yes, Mairin had seen Team Rocket attack, but if he was locked up in jail they'd have no one to frame her death on. And Mairin being missing has most definitely made the news– and so her being found would probably only continue her news story– so if something did happened to her now the public would know.

Team Rocket would be only hurting themselves if they targeted Mairin with him in custody.

Perhaps... perhaps now was the time to hand himself over.

* * *

Good news: it was quite easy to find Alain in the silent city.

Bad news: He was currently surrounded by armed police officers.

"Now what?" Mairin muttered, Chespie by her side. She was currently peering around from a building, not wanting to draw attention to herself quite yet. Chespie was looking very nervous, rocking back and forth on his feet. Mairin honestly didn't know what she could do to help Alain out– she was more than certain that the police would be willing to shoot him.

She shivered at the sight of the guns in their hands– her encounter with Team Rocket all too fresh in her mind. She tried to swallow her fear, not wanting to feel useless like she had when Alain had been fighting Rocket. This time he needed _her_ help– and it wasn't like the police were going to shoot her– they thought she was a victim.

Mairin bit her lip as she thought on this, an idea forming in her mind. Not one she liked per se, but it would probably work. She glanced out towards Alain and Charizard, who were circled by the police and their Pokemon. If Alain tried to fly away they'd probably just shoot at him– but as long as _she_ was in the way Mairin was confident that they wouldn't even take the risk.

...Right?

She closed her eyes, that didn't matter. Alain was in this situation because of her, and had been risking his life to protect her. She had to make sure he got to safety.

"So Chespie..." Mairin muttered. "How do you feel about using a Rollout on a policeman?"

"Din!" He cried, though he kept his tone low. Mairin looked away at the expression of shock on his face. She didn't want to attack an officer either– they were just trying to protect the public. They just didn't know that Alain wasn't a threat.

"Just one of their Pokemon then?" Mairin asked, holding her hands up defensively as Chespie glared at her. "Look, I just need to break through that circle they have around Alain– I can help him get away as long as I can get to him. You give me an opening somehow, then we're all out of here."

Chespie crossed his stubby arms, not wanting to put Mairin at risk, but eventually the Quilladin sighed– he knew that they'd be safer with Alain than anywhere else. He finally gave Mairin a nod, slipping out into the bushes as he slunk towards the policemen and Alain. Mairin on the other hand went down the road, knowing there'd be no harm in revealing herself now.

Alain was talking to the police, looking hesitant and pale. Mairin could tell he was just trying to stall, and the police seemed to notice this as well. They were pressing closer, their Pokemon tensing, waiting to seize the one they thought was a criminal. Alain's eyes were flickering about as they always did when he was nervous, and it wasn't long until they landed on her.

Alain's eyes widened as he saw her, and he nearly called out to her. She gave him a small smile, continuing to come closer even as gave a brief shake of his head. The police had yet to have noticed her, and Mairin quickly searched for Chespie.

The Quilladin was peering out of the foliage, looking out towards the officers uncertainty. Mairin hesitated for a moment, before taking in a deep breath.

"Chespie, Rollout!" Mairin shouted at the top of her lungs, causing the police officers to swiftly turn to look back at her, startled looks on their faces.

Most blinked at her in surprise, while Officer Jenny scowled. Mairin gave her a smile, though she honestly felt quite the opposite staring out at so many figures that were holding guns. Her legs swayed under her with her nervousness, but luckily she was saved from the stares from Chespie– who had burst out of the bushes, his body curled up tightly as he sped forward with a Rollout.

"Davidson!" Jenny snapped. "Get the girl and the Pokemon out of here now!"

A younger looking officer stepped forward, an Electrike at his side. The small electric type charged forward at Chespie, a Spark forming around him. Mairin tensed, but Chespie kept barreling forward. He slammed into the Electrike at full force– knocking it out of his way and speeding on towards the rest of the officers.

Chespie slammed into a Houndour with his second Rollout, his size allowing him to knock the fire type away and into several other Pokemon. While the attack itself didn't seem to do much damage to the police-trained Pokemon, the rock type move was enough to cause him and a few other Pokemon to break ranks. Chespie pulled out of the Rollout– releasing a Pin Missile straight into the air.

Mairin knew that he was trying to buy her some more time by keeping the attention on himself, but it still took Mairin a moment to force herself forward. She hesitated, then ran forward as fast as she could– praying to Xerneas that she wouldn't trip now.

Unfortunately Chespie's chaos wasn't enough to keep trained officers confused for long. A spike of fear ran through Mairin as she saw Officer Jenny swiftly moving towards her, a hand reached out to stop her as Mairin bolted towards Alain.

"Din!" Chespie cried, lashing out with a Vine Whip. His hesitancy to attack a police officer seemed to have vanished as he watched one reaching towards his trainer. The vine wrapped around Jenny's wrist, yanking her arm back from Mairin.

The girl ducked, racing past an officer's Pokemon who didn't quite seem to know what to do, and ducked under an outstretched arm. Luckily Chespie's attacks had taken most of the focus away from her and onto the Pokemon– allowing Mairin to race past the circle of officers that had been around Alain.

"Mairin!" Alain cried, leaping forward as soon as she was in reach, his strong arms pulling her in close. Mairin felt all of her fears evaporating as she found herself in Alain's grasp, and he quickly pushed her towards Charizard, stepping protectively in front of her.

"...Vide, step away from the girl," Jenny growled, voice sounding tense.

Alain noticeably stiffened upon being addressed by his last name. "...She came of her own accord, don't push this onto me."

"Quill!" Quilladin snapped, darting away from a Manectric. The Pokemon seemed hesitant to attack him, knowing that he belonged to Mairin.

Mairin froze as Jenny's hand went to her gun, but she forced herself to stumble forward.

"Mairin, get behind me!" Alain hissed at her as she stepped in front of him.

"No," Mairin said, staring out at the officers– who had swiftly turned their weapons away from Mairin. "They won't attack me."

"I don't want you in the line of fire," Alain was talking in a hushed tone, but it was quite clear that the officers could hear him. Mairin kept her eyes locked on Jenny's, who was staring at her.

"No," Mairin said. "They won't shoot at me– and I'm not going to let them shoot you. Get on Charizard."

No one moved– the officers neither wanting to step down nor make an aggressive movement. Alain on the other hand clearly saw the truth of her words, they wouldn't risk shooting at Mairin to get him– but still didn't want her at any risk. Mairin's heart was racing as she stared at the officers.

Officer Jenny gritted her teeth, up held up her hand. "Lower your weapons."

Some of the tension in Mairin's heart slipped away as the guns were lowered, and she felt Alain placed a hand on her shoulder. She stumbled back, but the officers didn't move, clearly not willing to take a risk as long as Alain was near her. She allowed Alain to guide her back towards Charizard, but she didn't risk taking her eyes off of Jenny.

The chief police officer had a frown on her face, and she didn't move.

"Come Mairin..." Alain muttered, and at last she turned away from the officers. Charizard had lowered herself down onto all fours, wings spread opens, eyes darting about nervously. Mairin glanced back over her shoulder, but still none of the officers had moved.

Were they going to be able just to fly away?

There was a slight tremble to Alain's hands, and Mairin quickly mounted onto Charizard. The lizard's scales were warm against her skin, and Mairin felt even warmer as Alain slipped on behind her. Mairin swiftly dug her hand into her pocket, pulling out Chespie's Pokeball and recalling the Quilladin.

Charizard didn't wait a second– as soon as both of her passengers were on her back she sprang into the sky, wings flapping wildly to gain air. Mairin wrapped her hands around Charizard's neck, and Alain wrapped one hand around her waist.

Mairin risked a peek down towards the ground as Charizard whipped around– bolting away from the town as fast as she could. The officers were still looking up at them, making no movement.

Jenny's frown deepened as she watched the silhouette of the Charizard get smaller.

"...Chief?" One of the officers asked uncertainty. "Should we have a flying Pokemon pursue? Send a message to the neighboring cities to prepare for them?"

"No..." Jenny said after a moment. "They won't be heading towards another city," She closed her eyes, turning away from the distant shape of the Charizard. "Do not pursue– not while he has the girl. Smith, do one last sweep of the area with your team, then inform the citizens that the town is safe. Jacobs– get me in contact with the International Police right away, I'd like to speak with an agent about this case."

" _Yes sir!"_ The officers' cries echoed through the streets, and Jenny rubbed her head.

"Is everything alright, madam?" A female officer asked Jenny, frowning slightly.

Jenny gave her a grim smile. "A suspect just slipped through my fingers with a child in tow, didn't he?" Jenny asked, and she sighed. "Though I am more concerned at the fact that it may have been the right course of action."

"...Madam?" The officer asked uncertainty.

Jenny waved her hand. "Never mind, Peters, I'm just thinking a loud. Carry on."

Peters nodded, turning away from her chief and recalling a Furfrou to a Pokeball. Jenny closed her eyes, before forcing herself to sit up and head down the road back to the station– she had calls she needed to make.

But she couldn't get the look of pure concern in Alain's face out of her mind.

* * *

"Ouch!" Sycamore hissed, jerking his hand back as an electric shock ran through him.

"Are you alright, Professor?" Sophie swiftly asked, turning towards the professor as he glared down at the small machine in front of him.

"...I'll be fine," He grumbled, shaking his hand as if that would drive away the pain. "Just touched a live wire, wasn't too nasty of a shock though..."

"You should be more careful," Sophie said, drawing up to his side, and she peered down at the device. "How's it coming along?"

Professor Sycamore sighed. "Let's just say this idea in theory seemed a lot more easy."

Sophie gave him a small smile. "Perhaps you wouldn't be shocking yourself if you didn't have it hooked to a power source while trying to fix it."

Professor Sycamore blinked, realizing his stupidity. He flushed slightly, both he and Sophie reaching forward to disconnect the machine. She quickly withdrew her hand as their arms brushed up against each other, and the professor closed his eyes.

"I think this will be a bit easier to work with now," Professor Sycamore said, picking up the machine as it turned off. He peered in at the tangle of dusty wired, taking in a deep breath and blowing. A small plume of dust filled the air, and he coughed. "While I do this would you look up Mairin's Pokedex number? We'll need it once I get the old system up and running again."

"Right away, Professor," Sophie said, slipping out of the office as Sycamore sat down at his desk.

He flipped the machine over, frowning at the project he had just taken on. He was starting to remember why the old systems had been replaced, these machines had been nothing but a nightmare to work with, and had been nothing like the sleek Pokedexes they had connected to. Expensive high-end Pokedexes for the trainers typically took a lot out of the league's budget– leaving these cheap things like this for the professors to work with.

Of course those days were now over, with the new system being much more modern and reliable– but that didn't matter at the moment. They needed to get this old thing up and running so they could track down Mairin's Pokedex, and find out where Alain had taken her.

Alain. His son.

It was something that was hard to digest– the boy he had given up eighteen years ago for so long seemed like a nameless figure in his mind. A stranger with no closer ties than blood– someone he should have no bonds with.

But ever since Agent Speaker had dropped the truth on him, Sycamore just didn't know what to do. The fact that it was Alain– someone he cared for deeply for, someone he knew, someone that he had acted as a guardian figure for in their younger years... it was different. The knowledge that he had a bond with his son was weighing him down– the fact that his son had been right in front of him and he hadn't even realized it.

And he had found out the moment Alain needed him perhaps more than ever– and he had no idea where he was.

"No, we're going to find him," Professor Sycamore muttered to himself, gritting his teeth. "As soon as you fix this stupid thing."

He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do once he found Alain– hide him, smuggle him out of the region– but all he knew was he couldn't spend one more moment sitting in this lab.


	15. Chapter 15 - Maps

**Chapter Fifteen – Maps**

Professor Sycamore gritted his teeth as he adjusted the antenna, carefully angling it towards the window. He stepped back for a moment with a tired look on his face, before glancing at the screen of the device.

He cursed as his eyes were met with a blank screen, and he went back to adjusting the antenna again. He repeated this process several times– looking in annoyance at a blank screen before shifting the antenna about– but nothing changed. The professor let out an exhausted sigh, sitting down in his office chair.

"Chomp?"

"Hey Garchomp," Professor Sycamore said, glancing up in time to see the large dragon slipping into his office. "I just can't seem to get this thing right."

He pointed towards his desk, and Garchomp tilted her head.

"Chompa?" She asked, stomping across the room and sniffing the antenna.

"When we actually used this system it was hooked up to the lab's personal grid– but we threw everything needed out once we got the updated system. And this antenna I found up in the storage area just doesn't get a broad enough signal to reach wherever Alain and Mairin are," Professor Sycamore waved his hand. "And after that, I don't even know what I'm going to do. If I'm caught actually trying to help him not only will the lab be ruined– I'll have no resources to do anything for Alain."

Garchomp blinked. "Gar?"

Sycamore chuckled to himself. "I suppose I could go out a buy a stronger antenna... I'll have to come up with another project that I'd just it for though– the league monitors all of their funds, and I don't want to cause any suspicions," He gave a small smile as Garchomp poked at the antenna and the machine it was hooked to with her claws. "It's supposed to be searching for a signal from Mairin's Pokedex. If you manage to get it to work let me know."

Garchomp considered this for a moment– before opening her jaws wide and snapping the whole system up into her mouth– machine, antenna, screen and all.

Professor Sycamore sat up in alarm, but before he could say a word Garchomp turned, heading out of his office.

"Garchomp, what in Yveltal's name are you doing?!" Sycamore cried. "We need that in one piece!"

Garchomp paid him no heed, stomping down the hallway with a determined look in her eyes. Sycamore was rushing after her, and caught sight of her bolting into the main room of the lab. The weary professor stumbled after her, having gotten little rest the last few nights, and followed her down another hallway. His eyes narrowed as he saw where Garchomp was going. The dragon looked back at him happily, and he raised an eyebrow.

She didn't stop however, bolting into the greenhouse of the lab, where all of the Pokemon were.

"Garchomp, there isn't even a plug in here!" Professor Sycamore said. Garchomp tilted her head, the power cord hanging out of her mouth. She opened her jaws, depositing the machine onto the grassy ground of the greenhouse, which was now covered in dragon salva.

"Garchomp's mouth is a great place to pick up a signal, I see," A voice said, and Professor Sycamore looked up to see Sophie, who was currently feeding the lab Pokemon. Her eyes were narrowed, though there was a small smile on her face. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Blame Garchomp," Professor Sycamore said, earning a snort from the dragon.

Garchomp let out a low rumble, carefully picking up the machine with her two claws. She placed the antenna on her large flat head as if it were a hat, stumbling about for a moment to make sure it was balanced. She then headed over towards the professor, handing him the sticky screen. He uncertainly accepted it (the screen was still blank), wiping her spit off on his lab coat. Then with the main machine still in her claws Garchomp wandered over towards the window, the power cord dangling down near her heels.

"Gar!" She called, and a Pokemon bolted away from Sophie and towards the dragon. A Helioptile ran towards her feet, opening up its frills towards the window, sparks forming around the electric type. The Helioptile grabbed the head of the power cord, letting out a small, steady pulse of electricity. The machine in Garchomp's claws started to hum, and she looked at the professor excitedly.

He glanced down at the screen– still no signal.

"Sorry Garchomp," He said with an uncertain smile. "No change– but seeing if the greenhouse would get a better signal was a good idea."

'Good idea' was apparently not good enough for Garchomp. She let out a low growl, snapping her head towards the Pokemon gathered around Sophie. A small orange shape darted out from them– a Dedenne.

The second electric type ran up to Garchomp's heels, but instead of powering the machine like the Helioptile, it ran up to Garchomp's head towards where the antenna was sitting. The Dedenne scurried up onto the top of the antenna, raising its whiskers as it closed its eyes. Sparks came out from the Dedenne, and Garchomp looked towards Professor Sycamore again.

"Sorry girl," He said, staring down at the blank screen one more. "Still nothi– wait a minute!"

Garchomp perked up excitedly, and Sophie stared at the Professor. He was looking down at the screen, watching as a picture started to come into view. A smile spread over his face, looking at the pixelated map that was starting to come on screen. It took him a moment to recognize just what he was seeing, but soon he could make out the familiar mountains of western Kalos.

"Professor?" Sophie asked hesitantly.

"We got a signal!" Professor Sycamore exclaimed, holding up the screen triumphantly. "Cyllage City– they're east of Cyllage City, in the mountains!"

Sophie was by his side in an instant, her hands on his arm as she pulled it towards her to look at the screen he was holding. She stared at the small blinking dot that represented Mairin's Pokedex.

"Chomp!" Garchomp said happily.

"You did it Garchomp!" Professor Sycamore said, grinning at the dragon. "You found them– um– you all did!" He added on hastily when Helioptile and Dedenne shot glares at him. "G-good work."

"They're moving," Sophie noted. "Fairly quickly– it doesn't seem like they're hiking through the mountains."

"Hmm..." He studied the map. "Charizard. They must be on Charizard."

Sophie was smiling at the small dot, though there was a look of distress in her eyes. "What do we do now, Augustine?" She asked, and he paused as she said his name. "I mean, we have league officials and Interpol members here all the time, we can't hide them."

"You're right," Professor Sycamore said, handing her the screen. "There is not much _we_ can do," He sighed, looking out the window. "But... but I think I know someone that could help them. If he still trusts Alain, of course, which I'm sure he does..."

Sophie frowned. "Who?"

Sycamore smiled back at her. "A certain champion."

* * *

Despite the fact that it was still summer, Mairin found herself shivering as they raced over the mountains, the wind of Charizard's flight snatching away any potential warmth to keep. Mairin didn't dare wrap her arms around herself, she'd much rather use her hands to hold onto Charizard.

No words had been said between then since they had fled from the officers, not even Charizard letting out so much as a growl or rumble. She had bolted south as soon as they were out of sight of Geosenge Town, and Alain had made no effort to change this. He had simply kept one arm around Mairin's waist, and the other on Charizard's metal harness. She pressed closer to him for warmth, and he stiffened.

"Are you mad at me?" Mairin finally asked– she had ran off despite his warnings– and in the end he had been right. She had been recognized, and because of that Alain had been placed in danger.

"...Yes," Alain said after a moment of thought, which made Mairin bite her lip. "I told you that you'd only be placing yourself in danger– and you still went behind my back."

"Well... you did the same thing!" Mairin said with a huff. "They would have never found you if you'd never gone after me. You placed yourself in danger!"

"This is about your safety, not mine," Alain replied. Despite him saying he was mad his voice was still a void of calm. Mairin wasn't quite sure how he managed to do that.

"Wasn't the whole 'going on the run' thing for your safety?" Mairin asked with a slight smirk– he couldn't act like this was all about her.

"They would have killed you if I hadn't ran," Alain replied. "I had to in order to make sure I could get you away from Team Rocket."

She shivered at the name.

"Well– um– well–!" She struggled to find some sort of counter-argument. "Well you took a risk for me– and I took a risk for your Pokemon! Because _you_ wouldn't do a thing for them, and–"

"They can't feel any pain in their Pokeballs–" Alain growled, but with Mairin's fear of him now gone she didn't fall silent at his voice as she had before.

"– _And_ they didn't deserve to be left locked up like that," Mairin said, a slight growl in her own voice. "You had no right just to leave them there, and we had the means to do something. Yes, maybe you were right about it not being a full-proof plan– but it still worked! We're together, all of our Pokemon are healed, and I have some more supplies! Now the only thing left to deal with is your ankle– which you were walking onto find me, weren't you?"

Alain scowled. "It doesn't hurt anymore–"

"Zar..." Charizard entered the conversation for the first time, her low growl running down her.

"You still need to rest!" Mairin insisted. "Charizard helped me get to Geosenge– and I'll help her with making sure you stay off of that ankle! And despite the, um, police at the end, my plan worked out perfectly!"

"You planned on getting recognized?" Alain asked, and Mairin flushed.

"That was part of the whole 'police at the end' part!" She insisted. She meekly looked back at Alain.

To her surprise, he had a small smile on his face.

"Alright then," Alain said, leaning back a bit. "Everything did work out in the end– meaning we've done your idea."

"Huh?"

"And I don't think I've forgotten last night Charizard– making sure we were all sleeping up against you was your idea," Alain said, nudging the lizard in the side.

She craned her head back, glaring at him. "Rhh..."

"So now we're doing _my_ idea," Alain said, his voice turning serious. "I want mega stones for Tyranitar and Metagross, and we know where we can get them."

Mairin's insides shriveled up. "Not the black market thing."

"Malva was able to purchase a key stone and a Houndoomite from there," Alain insisted. "I can probably find mega stones for my Pokemon as well. I have mega stones for other Pokemon I've found in my travels– I can do a trade."

"You're talking about an illegal market!" Mairin cried. "These stones were probably stolen or something Alain!"

He hesitated, and Mairin could imagine his eyes flickering back and forth. "Kidnapping you was illegal too."

"I'm currently here of my own free will," Mairin snapped. "And you taking me in the first place was to protect me!"

"And so will be getting more mega stones," Alain said, a cold edge taking a hold of his tone. "And sure, maybe you're here because you want to be– but I'm not going to let you leave either, even if you wanted to– not while Team Rocket is still free."

Mairin could help but shiver at this declaration. "Not even I'd be safe?"

She didn't turn around, simply staring straight ahead at the mountains and skyline.

"...No," Alain said after a moment. "Not while Team Rocket is free."

Charizard let out a rumble of agreement, and Alain shifted as if this surprised him. Mairin still didn't look back, a feeling she wasn't quite sure of what to make of settling in her gut. She didn't replied, lowering her gaze to her hands, which were tightly gripping the harness that held Charizard's mega stone.

They flew on in silence.

It took Mairin a minute to find her voice. "S-so... basically I'm not going to change your mind about anything then?"

"No."

She took in a deep breath, sitting up a bit. "And, um, there's no way I can stop you from doing what you want either– so unless Charizard pins you down or something you're going to go after this mega stone plan," She glanced at Charizard, looking at the lizard's silver eyes. "And considering that Charizard was willing to take a risk with helping me get to town, and now that all of your Pokemon are healed... um... I don't think she's going to try to stop you either."

She looked back at Alain uncertainly, who was currently staring straight ahead as he let out a sigh. "Maybe. Charizard and I are not exactly on... best terms right now."

That explained the strange tension she had felt between them– even long after they were far from Geosenge.

Mairin scoffed. "I know you two– that won't last forever."

"I hope not," Alain replied simply, and Mairin bit her lip.

It was strange, talking to Alain this freely. Her last week with him hadn't exactly been a chatty one, and before that... well, before that they had barely been on speaking terms. It was nice just to be open with him once more, but at the same time... this conversation wasn't exactly a happy one.

"Um– anyways–" Mairin said, shaking her head as she tried to regain her train of thought. "I'm not going to change your mind about anything– so it seems this black market plan is going to happen."

Alain glanced at Charizard, who was silent.

"Yes, it is," Alain said.

"Okay," Mairin said, inching forward on Charizard. "So, um–"

Alain sighed. "Stop saying 'um' and just talk Mairin."

"Oh! Well, um– er– heh– anyways–" Mairin flushed. "Basically, I was thinking– if I can't stop you with this mega stone idea, could you at least wait for your ankle to be healed before we run off and do this?"

"We don't have time to sit around," Alain replied, and Mairin let out a sigh.

"Hey Charizard, do you think Alain should wait for his ankle to heal?" Mairin asked with a slight smirk.

"Zarhh!" Charizard growled in agreement, shooting Alain a silver-eyed glare. She flared her wings open, rising up higher in the sky as if to say she was going to make sure of this. Mairin looked back at Alain, grinning. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" He growled. "I'll rest for... two days– that's it! Then we're moving on."

"Great!" Mairin chirped, her energetic tone returning at once. "I got some supplies at the Pokemon Center and read up a bit about sprained joints! With Bébé I'm sure we can–"

"I don't think it's fully sprained," Alain cut in. "I doubt I could walk on it if that were the case. Like I said, it barely hurts, and this is honestly not necessary–"

"Hey," Mairin paused, and she leaned back against Alain, looking up at him. "Where is Bébé? I left her with you."

Alain stared down at her for a moment, then pushed her forward so she wasn't up against his chest. "I didn't have her Pokeball so I had her hide in my pocket. I'm pretty sure she's asleep at the moment."

"You put her in your pocket?!" Mairin cried.

He sighed. "I'm not getting her out when we're flying this fast. Just wait until we land, okay?"

Mairin narrowed her eyes, and then leaned up against Alain's chest again. "Fine. But if so much as a single petal of her flower's bent then Chespie has a Toxic with your name on it."

* * *

To Mairin's surprise, Alain actually kept his word about resting for two days. It wasn't that she didn't trust Alain– but he did have a history of lying and of broken promises if he thought it were for the best.

They had taken shelter in the high mountains, not far from a stream that Alain claimed was drinkable enough. While Mairin hadn't exactly considered the purity of the water up until now– she had been too focused on escaping when Alain had first taken her– she now had her doubts. Sure the water was clear and looked clean enough– but that didn't mean that there wouldn't be diseases and bacteria lurking in the water.

But with no other water sources in the area in the end she had accepted the stream as drinkable.

As for their camp they were in yet another cave– but unlike so many movies and stories she had read, caves weren't just perfectly hollowed out rooms to be shelters. Most of what they had come across were tiny nooks and burrows, and would be barely big enough for Mairin to worm her way into. Anything that would be big enough for them were clearly inhabited by a large Pokemon, and so they had gone out of there way to avoid them.

What they had eventually settled for was a narrower cave with a tall ceiling that they had found in a rockface. There wasn't any room for them to be side by side in the moss-filled cave, so they had to go in single file. Alain had reluctantly taken the back after getting a glare from Charizard, since he would have no need for going in and out of the cave while resting.

Bébé had survived the flight in Alain's pocket, and was spending time outside of her Pokeball and tending to Alain's ankle. Mairin had spotted him shooting several glares at the fairy type, who hadn't quite seemed to have forgiven him for how he had treated Mairin. But the swelling in his ankle did seem to go down with each Aromatherapy she used on him, so Mairin didn't bother to change the Flabébé's ways.

And while Alain may have been resting, Mairin hadn't been able to get that same liberty.

"Is this your way of getting back at me for making you take a break?" Mairin asked as she draped wet clothes across the rocks outside of the cave so they could dry in the sun.

"We don't know when we'll have another chance to do simple things like this," Alain replied, flipping through the pages on his Holo Caster. Though it looked like he was lazing away, Mairin knew that he was probably planning out their next route, or deciding how to ration out their current stock of supplies. A map was laid out across his lap, and Bébé was napping on his head– something that Alain had made clear that it bothered him.

"Well, let's just say I'm never complaining about doing wash with a washing machine again," Mairin grumbled, tossing a pair of Alain's socks onto a rock.

Alain chuckled. "I said the same thing after a week of being out here."

Mairin frowned as he said this. It felt like Alain had spent all of yesterday ordering her around doing what felt like grunt work, but now that she thought on it she realized that much of what she was doing now would have had to be done during the week she hadn't trusted Alain– and considering the fact she had spent most of that time doing nothing, that meant that Alain had been doing everything for them on his own.

If he could handle a week, she could take two days.

"Whatcha looking at?" Mairin asked as she entered the cave, hands wet from handling the damp clothes.

"Malva's instructions," Alain said without looking up. "They don't match up with my map."

"Don't you have an electronic map in the Holo Caster?" Mairin asked, watching as Alain looked over Malva's messages, then at the paper map spread out in front of him.

"Disabled," Alain replied. "This thing used to belong to Malva– she has it all setup so it can't be tracked. Unfortunately that included getting rid of the map feature– since that uses a GPS system to find your current location," He frowned. "Hmm... maybe she's referring to this trail instead, that'd explain why..."

He trailed off, mumbling to himself as he examined his map.

"I vote for a campfire tonight," Mairin said. "I want something hot for dinner."

"No," Alain said without a second thought. "You're not cooking, you'd start a forest fire."

She glared at him. "Really? Not even an excuse about the smoke giving us away or something? I'm not ten anymore."

"No, you're not," He agreed. "But you're still Mairin."

"...I'll tell Bébé you're being mean to me," Mairin said after a moment of thought, glancing at the sleeping Pokemon on his head.

"You think she scares me?" Alain asked, looking up for the first time. Despite his tone his skin was noticeably paler however.

Mairin grinned. "I think we all deserve a hot meal– we can wait until it's dark so any smoke will be less visible. We get something good to eat– and Bébé will be unaware that you commented on my cooking skills."

Alain's eyes darkened. "My biggest mistake in life was helping you catch that thing. I'm telling you, she's a little devil. Especially when you're not around."

Mairin's smile widened, taking this as victory for her cooking dinner. "And you said I wouldn't be able to change your mind about anything. And don't talk about Bébé like that, she's a sweetheart."

Alain simply shook his head, turning back to his map. "Whoever said that fairy types are nothing but kind and caring Pokemon was wrong."

Mairin glared at him, standing up to exit the cave.


	16. Chapter 16 - The Market

**Writer's block is evil. Sorry this chapter took so long.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16 – The Market**

Alain hadn't been too fond of of Mairin's Flabébé for a while now, but he was now starting to learn that she wasn't as bad as he thought.

Because Bébé was even worse.

The little devil was currently perched on Alain's shoulder, the stem of her little yellow flower tucked between the folds of his leather jacket. Many might find this endearing, but Alain was well aware that Bébé was being everything but sweet. The fairy type looked up at Alain, black eyes gleaming, and Alain glared back.

"Go back to Mairin," He snapped at the Flaébé as he gathered his things. "Our deal is up, you don't need to babysit me."

The Flabébé rolled her eyes, and didn't move.

Alain gritted his teeth, but he kept silent. His ankle was weakly throbbing, though he didn't say a word about it. Thanks to the girls he had already wasted two days at this point, well, closer to three– but Charizard's glare had been pretty convincing for him not to move. If they knew that his ankle still hurt at all they'd probably keep him cave-bound for another week.

He glanced down at his ankle as he rolled up his sleeping back– the redness fortunately completely gone. It was still swollen slightly, but only if you really focused on it. As long as he didn't show that he felt any pain then no one would notice.

"So," Mairin asked from the mouth from the cave. "When do we leave?"

Alain glanced back, still slightly startled with the fact that Mairin was talking to him now, even if it had been several days. He gave a small grunt in response, pushing himself to his feet, brushing off his pants. The cave they were in was fairly narrow, but tall enough for him to stand in.

" _I_ will be leaving right away," Alain said. " _You_ are going to stay here until I get back."

Mairin's eyes narrowed. "...Since when was that the plan?"

"I thought you didn't like the idea of the market," Alain said, shouldering his bag. He made sure that the strap barely missed Bébé– to send the message that it was time for her to get away from him. "Besides, it's not safe– you're not going."

"Just because I don't like the idea doesn't mean I'm not going," Mairin said, crossing her arms. Alain felt himself tensing, realizing another argument was coming their way.

Which was the last thing he wanted.

He was mentally exhausted, and Alain was truly starting to feel its effects. Each day it was getting harder and harder to bury his stress with working on surviving– especially since his forced rest. He was tense, he could feel it crawling under his skin, and he was afraid of it breaking out. When he was tense he got angry, and the last thing he wanted to do was take it out on Mairin.

And her stubbornness wasn't helping.

"Mairin," Alain said slowly. "I... I don't want you to get hurt. I've lead you into many dangerous situations before, and I don't want to do it again," His hands were twitching, working along the straps of the bag as he spoke. "It will be safer and quicker if only one person went, and... you're the one that took a risk last time. It's my turn."

"If I recall that 'last time' you came after me," Mairin replied. "So why shouldn't I come with you this time? Besides, if you want me to be safe I'd be safest with you– y-you remember what happened last time I was alone!"

Chills ran up Alain's back, remembering all to well the image of the gun being held to Mairin's head. A pulse of anger ran through him, bitterness towards the Rockets that had hurt her. He looked away, jaw gritting against his teeth. Mairin knew him too well– he couldn't just leave her here now that he had that horrible image back in his mind.

But he couldn't bring Mairin with him– that'd just be placing her at risk again.

"I'll leave my Pokemon with you," Alain said, speaking more to himself than to her. "They'll watch you, and I'll be back soon."

He heard Mairin take in a deep breath. "Is that how you see me now?" She snapped. "Just as something to be carried about and protected?!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt–" Alain began.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Alain!" Mairin cried back. "I'm almost fifteen– which is older than when you dealt with Team Flare! Was I reckless a few days ago? Yes! But was it for a good reason? Yes!" She took in a deep breath. "I'm not going to run off and do things just for the sake of taking risks, Alain. We're both in danger, and I want to help you!"

Alain glanced back at her, and she was staring down at the floor of the cave. "I can handle this, I don't need help."

Mairin looked up at him. "I... I want to help you..." She whispered, and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I... I don't to be useless or a burden..." She closed her eyes. " _I don't want to be used like with those Rockets again!"_

Alain's mouth went dry. "If you're here that won't happ–"

" _I was alone last time it happened!"_ Mairin cried, and tears stung her eyes. Alain turned to face her, watching as her arms started shaking. Bébé jumped off of Alain's shoulder, floating over towards Mairin, landing on the base of her neck so she could press up against her trainer to comfort her. She cradled the small fairy type close, and she looked up at Alain. "I d-don't want to be alone again."

Alain's willpower crumbled as he watched her, his heart aching, and he looked away. "You... you can come."

Alain hated himself as he gave in– the whole purpose of this was to keep Mairin out of danger! But seeing her so distressed... it was almost worse... He couldn't force her into a situation that would remind her of the Rockets...

Mairin rushed up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He leaned back slightly in surprise, which shifted his entire weight onto his left ankle. It took everything he had not to let out a hiss of pain, however he stiffened up. Fortunately this was a common reaction of his when he was hugged unexpectedly, so Mairin didn't notice.

He wrapped one arm around the back of her neck, pulling her into a brief hug, before gently guiding her back. He let out a sigh of relief as his ankle was free from the pressure, but unfortunately the weight of knowing Mairin would be joining him on his excursion to an illegal market came over him instead.

"You may come," Alain said firmly, sitting up slightly. " _Only_ if you promise that you'll do exactly what I say, no matter what– for both of our safety."

Mairin nodded. "Okay."

"Mairin, this is serious, we just can't–"

"I get it," Mairin said. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. The quicker we do this the sooner we can leave this stupid black market idea in the past," She took in a deep breath, sitting up. "How far away is this place anyways?"

"From what I could figure out from what Malva told me, perhaps a half hour flight from our current location– give or take ten minutes depending on how well I estimated our location," He sighed. "Basically we'll want to keep our eyes open for an isolated mansion as we're flying– the man that runs this place lives there. The place itself is about a half mile south from there, held in this hollowed out hillside– man made, not natural."

He was basically just repeating the words Malva had sent him, but it was easier than dwelling on his own thoughts. He was making his way towards the mouth of the cave, and Mairin pulled back so he could step out. The sunlight washed over him as he was at last free from the cave, the warmth filling him. He could see Charizard a little ways away, taking a long drink from stream.

She looked up at Alain, blinking her silver eyes.

"Think you can carry both of us?" Alain asked her.

"Rah," She rumbled, her scales rattling in a way that said 'of course'. She craned her neck up high, flaring open her wings as she stretched, before at last going onto all fours. Her wings snapped to her side, and the Charizard regarded her trainer and Mairin as they approached. Mairin recalled Bébé to her Pokeball, tucking the sphere away into her backpack.

Alain had to keep himself under control– he was silently screaming at himself for letting Mairin come along. What if she got hurt?! What would he do then? Alain watched as she climbed onto Charizard, getting settled on the Pokemon. Both him and his Pokemon were stronger, if he decided if she was going to stay here she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it, and she'd be safe...

What on earth was he thinking?

Alain closed his eyes, and dragged himself towards Charizard. The promise of resting his ankle was all that drove him to keep the illusion of an even expression on his face, and he mounted Charizard. Mairin pressed her back against his chest, her arms gripping Charizard's neck as the lizard opened her wings. He braced himself as his Pokemon took to the sky, praying silently to whatever legendary that was listening that they could do this without encountering any trouble.

* * *

Mairin was starting to really love the sensation of flying.

She still didn't dare take her hands off of the metal band around Charizard's neck, since the idea of falling off was still just as terrifying as ever, but that didn't mean she wasn't enjoying the rush. This was far better than any rollercoaster, the wind blowing in her hair and her stomach twisting anytime Charizard went into a dive. Like always Alain had an arm wrapped protectively around her waist, providing some level of security beyond her own grip.

She if ever got the chance, she most definitely was going to catch a Pokemon she could ride on– except for she was going to get a harness so there was no chance of her falling off.

"How much farther?" She called back to Alain, having to raise her voice so she could be heard above the wind. She wasn't sure why it was so loud today– it seemed that Charizard was flying directly into the gale. Alain shifted behind her, proving that he had at least her heard, but he didn't respond right off.

"Any minute now," He said, voice faint as the wind tried to steal it away.

Mairin sighed, and peered down at the grassy hills they were flying over. She told herself she was merely looking at a picture and not staring down at a hundred-foot fall, trying to find any sign that they were getting closer. They had spotted the mansion Alain had said to look for earlier, so there was no reason why they shouldn't be at their location now. Charizard let out a shudder as she flew on, and Mairin dared to remove one of her hands for a moment to give the lizard a pat.

Then she swiftly returned it to the metal band.

"I won't let you fall," Alain's voice said behind her, his voice barely able to be heard over the wind. "You can relax."

"I'll relax when we don't have anyone after us!" Mairin called back, and she felt Alain's arm wrap even tighter around her as they were reminded of their situation. She bit her lip, wondering if that had been the best topic to bring up, right when they were heading into what was surely only more danger.

Her stomach twisted slightly, mind trying to bury away just how bad their situation was. Someone had tried to _kill_ her– and they wanted Alain gone as well. She looked down at her hands, and Mairin couldn't help but wonder how long they were going to be stuck in these circumstances. Months? Maybe even years? This wasn't just a journey they could end whenever they felt like it, they were going to have to keep moving no matter what came their way.

"Charizard– land!" Alain ordered, his voice rising so the lizard could hear him. "We'll walk the rest of the way."

Mairin gulped, hands tightening as Charizard tucked her wings to her side, going into a steep dive towards the hills below. She braced herself, knowing that Charizard's landings weren't always smooth. Her wings flared open as they approached the ground, jerking them all as she swooped down, claws sinking into the grass.

At some point in the landing Mairin had closed her eyes, and they remained that way until she felt Alain jumping off of Charizard. She swiftly glanced around, before following him, a strong will still blowing despite the fact they had come to a stop. Mairin's vision danced with black spots as she dismounted, though they swiftly faded. Alain was digging through his bag, pulling out his Holo Caster, turning it on with a few taps.

After a moment of glancing at it, and then at the windy hills around them, he pulled out a Pokeball. "Charizard– return."

The dragon-like Pokemon was recalled in a burst of red light, leaving them alone on top of the hill. Mairin slowly made her way over to Alain's side, not quite sure of what they were going to do next. She could see him glancing over his messages from Malva one last time, before slipping the Holo Caster into his pocket. He took in a deep breath, giving Mairin a swift glance, before looking skyward.

"Now what?" Mairin asked, shifting.

"...Are you sure you don't want to wait here?" Alain asked slowly. "I could leave Bisharp with you–"

"No!" Mairin snapped, the wind whipping her hair in front of her face. "I already said I was coming. I'm not changing my mind now."

He sighed. "...Okay. Just remember your promise– you need to do whatever I tell you," He looked down at her. "That includes running. If I tell you to get out of there, then don't even hesitate."

She gritted her teeth.

"Mairin."

She sighed. "...I promise, but only as long as you promise to look out for yourself as much as you do me."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine," His gaze shifted so it was looking out over the hills. "...Alright. If what Malva said was right, then we're just a few minutes walk away," He started down the hill, and Mairin hurried to keep up with him. "I will be doing all the talking. If anyone starts talking to you don't reply. Nobody in a place like this is trustworthy."

"Then why on earth do you want to come here?" Mairin muttered under her breath. Either Alain didn't hear her over the wind, or he was ignoring the comment. She had to carefully watch her step as they went down the grassy hill, the long blades of grass made it hard to see the ground, and she jumped with a Ledyba suddenly took flight. This action of course caused her to lose her footing, stumbling forward in an attempt to keep her balance.

Alain reached out, grabbing her shoulder before she fell face first into the ground. His other hand grabbed her other shoulder, pulling her back into a standing position. She gave him a brief, grateful smile– embarrassed at the fall. He didn't say anything as they continued on, however his pace did feel slower than before, and this time Mairin wasn't falling behind. She kept glancing over the hills, looking for some sign that this was more than a rich man's endless property.

They reached the bottom of the hill, and right away Alain began hiking up the next one. Mairin internally groaned, hoping they wouldn't have to go too far. Alain had that distant expression in his eyes, meaning that he was lost in his own thoughts. She sighed, and fell into a step behind him.

"You look lost, strangers," A voice called from behind them as they crested another hill, and chills raced up Mairin's back. She let out a startled yelp, spinning around with wide eyes. Alain's reaction was much calmer, slowly turning to face the speaker. However he stepped to the side so he was in front of Mairin, causing her to be unable to get a good look at the one who had called out to them. She peered around Alain, who had reached for a Pokeball in his pocket, eyeing the man suspiciously.

The man heading towards them was about as tall as Alain, with dark blue hair and eyes. He had a Luxray at his side as he walked through the tall grass, expression narrowed as he watched them.

"We know where we're heading," Alain replied evenly, holding the man's gaze.

The man regarded them for a moment. "This is private property, I'm afraid."

"We have an invitation," Alain replied swiftly. His words didn't sound like an excuse, more like an automatic response.

The man's narrowed gaze didn't fade a bit. "Where are you headed?"

"To where the Pidgey burrows," Alain said, and Mairin blinked in confusion at this answer. However, it seemed what he said was the right thing, because the man waved his hand, and the Luxray at his side relaxed.

"Hmm," The blue haired man said, tone still slightly cold. "It's been a while since anyone new has come by. Welcome."

Alain's stanced remained just as suspicious, and Mairin glanced between them. That's when she realized that the answers Alain had been giving were probably planned out– a code of some kind. He stayed standing in front of her, simply watching the man with an empty glare. The blue haired man gave an uncertain glance at Mairin before he turned, giving a small gesture for them to follow him.

"Malva mentioned this guy," Alain muttered to Mairin. "Basically he's supposed to chase off people that wander back here by accident," Without glancing at her he reached down, grabbing her arm and linking it through his. "Come on– and let me to the talking."

She scowled, since he had literally said this just a few minutes ago, but she allowed him to lead her through the grass as they followed the blue haired man. As they followed him Mairin felt herself growing more and more nervous. The grassy fields slowly faded into forest, aspens dotting the hills. She stumbled as she tried to keep up with Alain's pace, which was getting swifter with each step.

She wanted to say something, but she kept her word and stayed silent.

"You will find the entrance at the bottom of the hill, around on the west side," The man said. "...I can't promise they'll let you in though."

Alain grunted in acknowledgement, but said nothing more to the man as he started forward. Mairin struggled to keep up with his broad paces, but couldn't help but glance back at the man with the Luxray. He watched Mairin for a moment longer, before turning and heading back into the trees. She shivered, realizing just how out of place she was going to be in a place with illegal dealings. She pressed slightly closer to Alain, allowing him to lead her forward, a part of her wondering if it would have been best for her to stay behind.

No, it wouldn't have been fair to leave Alain alone. No matter how much he pretended he could handle everything, he was still human. And besides... the thought of being alone was just as frightening as going through with this. Mairin closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm herself for whatever was going to happen next.

"Wh-whoa," Mairin whispered.

Alain had said that this place was in a hollowed out hill... but Mairin realized that she didn't fully take that in until she actually saw the place. It looked almost like a cartoon entrance to a giant dragon lair, the whole side of the hill looking like the front of a giant cave. It clearly wasn't natural, large pillars and metal braces were holding up the walls and ceiling of the place, providing some stability to the man-made cavern.

Of course her awe ended there, stomach twisting as she began to take in the people in here. Alain didn't slow, while Mairin wanted to dig in her heels and not go another step, but she buried her fear. She wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting, but she supposed that the term 'market' had planted the wrong image in her head.

This place wasn't set up like a grocery store, just for people to walk in and browse. It was more like a stash, boxes and crates lined up in neat rows. Her legs felt like jelly as Alain and her passed the threshold into this cavern, and while it was still bright enough to see, being out of the direct sunlight made the whole place covered in shadows. Alain's arm tightened around hers, and she had no intention of pulling away.

The place was quite cleverly hidden, even if it was completely viewable as long someone was standing from the west. But since these lands were private, no trainers or roads would be here to see it. And with it tucked away under a hill it wasn't visible by air either.

"Who are you?" A sharp voice asked. "I haven't seen you before."

A blonde haired woman was approaching them, her arms crossed. A female Meowstic was at her side, and Alain's hand slipped towards his Pokeballs. A thick tension filled the air, and Mairin instinctively looked away, eyes flickering along the many crates and boxes that were being stored here. There was perhaps only four other people here, all watching over a different section of crates– though right now their eyes were directed towards her and Alain.

"No, you haven't," Alain said, his tone slipping into its empty drone as it often did. "A... a friend told me about this place."

"Who?" The woman snapped, looking unimpressed.

Alain hesitated. "...Malva."

The woman's stanced relaxed slightly. "Hmm. I heard she was headed off to Kanto, didn't think she'd send anyone our way," She scanned Alain. "Just what are you looking for?"

The woman's eyes slid towards Mairin for a moment, and she closed her eyes, not liking the way the woman's green gaze bore into her.

"Mega stones," Alain said.

The woman tapped her foot in thought, then finally pointed over her shoulder with a thumb. "You'll want to talk to Jake. Northeast corner. He's the one that deals with battle items."

"...Thank you," Alain said slowly, before stepping forward. Mairin stayed right next to him, their movements slow since Alain didn't seem keen on turning his back on anyone. The woman watched their every step, and it seemed that they would not be heading anywhere in this place without an eye on them. It took Alain a moment, but finally he simply headed forward without glancing over his shoulder every two steps.

Mairin was trying to work out just what this place was used for. Clearly everything here was either illegally brought here, or it was something that shouldn't even be owned at all. Her stomach twisted, realizing that they were probably going to be walking out of here with a mega stone that could be stolen from someone. Alain didn't seem to care though, so she simply glued her gaze to the floor.

Mairin felt vulnerable as they walked on, because it seemed everyone had a Pokemon out except for them. The girl had the Meowstic, a man on a ramp over them had a Haunter floating next to him. An older man leaning away a wall had a Simisear pacing in front of him, and in the corner they were heading towards there was a man who had a Scizor near him.

The man with the Scizor seemed to be Jake, because he had a gleam in his eyes as they approached. "Heh, thought it'd be a while until I'd see someone else interested in the mega business," His eyes locked on Alain's key stone. "Seems you already have your start, though."

Mairin could see the hesitation in Alain's gaze, a nervous edge to him despite the confident way he was carrying himself. "Malva said that you were willing to do trades."

"Trades for mega stones?" Jake asked, tone a bit light. "Perhaps. Though I would drive a harder bargain than I would for cash."

He eyed Alain, who shook his head. "I'll trade mega stones, nothing else."

Jake shrugged. "Just what stone are you looking for?"

Again there was that hesitation in Alain's eyes– since he did have two Pokemon outside of Charizard with the potential to mega evolve. "...Tyranitarite."

Jake looked surprised at this. "That's a rare Pokemon– you have one?"

"...I have a Larvitar," Alain lied after a moment, which she didn't see the benefit to, but she supposed this person didn't need to know everything about them. Jake leaned back for a moment, studying Alain with an unreadable expression, before glancing at his Scizor.

"It's not just a rare Pokemon, but a pretty uncommon stone as well," He said, watching Alain curiously. "I might have one, depends on what you have to offer."

Alain's lips twisted, thinking. Mairin was watching their surroundings, figuring the least she could do was keep an eye on things. She hated the way these people kept looking at her, she knew that she stood out, but it still made her shiver. Particularly older the man with the Simisear, whose eyes kept flickering in their direction. The blonde woman from before was gone, and even if Mairin didn't trust her she still found that she seemed the least hostile of everyone else here.

Mairin glanced at the older man again, who was still staring in their direction, not even trying to be discreet about it. Chills raced up her and she shifted her gaze to the crates behind him, not wanting to look at him, but not wanting to cower and look away either. Mairin's heart leapt as she noticed the bars on the front of the crates, and if she stared long enough small shifts and movements could be seen in the shadowy interior.

She was startled that she hadn't noticed the cages sooner, but even with rows upon rows the Pokemon within them didn't make a sound. The Simisear would pause in front of any crate that a noise came from, hissing in. This would swiftly make whatever Pokemon inside go quiet, and Mairin's gut twisted. Items were one thing, but living creatures...

"A Mawilite," Alain said, and Mairin's attention turned to him and Jake. In Alain's hand was a pink gem with a twisting gray and yellow core. He held it out to the man, allowing him to lean forward and study it, while not letting it out of his grasp. Mairin was surprised that Alain had another mega stone on hand– usually he handed what he found over to the professor. But Alain had been doing a lot of traveling before Team Rocket, so it wasn't startling that he had come across more stones for mega evolution.

"...A rare one," Jake said, clearly trying to keep his voice even, but hesitation was enough to show he was impressed. "A Mawilite is something I don't have... so I suppose I could find a trade," He leaned back against the wall. "But still, I'd say Tyranitar is the stronger of the two Pokemon, so I just don't want to give up a mega stone without thought..."

If it wasn't for the situation, Mairin would have rolled her eyes– he clearly wanted Alain to offer more.

Alain pressed his lips together, running his thumb over the Mawilite in a nervous fashion, before slipping it away. "Perhaps Tyranitar is stronger," Alain said. "But Mawile is worthless in battle without a mega stone– while a Tyranitar can get along fine without one. A rare mega stone for a rare mega stone is a fair deal, but if you're going to waste my time I will just find someone else to trade with."

Mairin stared at Alain, a bit startled that he had just called a Pokemon 'worthless'. Mairin knew that Alain wasn't that type of trainer– he had been mocked before for training a Unfezant compared to other flying types– and had proceeded to defeat their Pokemon with his so-called 'weak' Unfezant. She knew that he was simply trying to secure the trade, and had to remind herself to take his words with a grain of salt.

She was slightly startled when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

Mairin glanced down, and noticed a purple glow on the end of her jacket sleeve. She stared at the psychic energy as it gave another small tug, and she raised her gaze to try to find the source of the telekinetic powers. Her eyes met a glowing purple gaze, the female Meowstic standing aways off. Next to her was the blonde lady from earlier– though now her harsh demeanor was gone. She was watching Mairin with a concerned look, and when their eyes met she tilted her head, silently asking her to come.

Mairin froze up, and gave the smallest shake of her head.

The woman's gaze shifted to Alain, and then back to Mairin, again signalling for her to come. She seemed slightly on edge as she watched Alain, and the look in her eyes seemed far from cold. Mairin's arm tightened around Alain, realizing that this woman probably recognized them– and clearly Alain worried her.

Perhaps that's why they had been let in so easily.

Mairin watched the woman for a moment longer, and her concern seemed to genuine. Her heart thumped as she realized that this woman was probably trying to give her a chance to slip away from Alain. Had she tried to do this when Alain had first taken her, or perhaps if he was truly a threat, then Mairin would have been grateful. But considered what the last people who had tried to 'help' her had done, and seeing how Alain was the only human she trusted in this room, Mairin pressed up to Alain in an attempt to get his attention.

"Hold still," Alain snapped at her, voice much sharper than he'd usually use with her, and she gritted her teeth. They had been recognized– and they needed to get out of here.

"I suppose you do hold a point," Jake said, voice still very relax. "No point in letting a good trade walk out, especially if I could get something more out of it in the long run," He held out his hand. "So, Mawilite for Tyranitarite then?"

Alain eyed him warily, before holding out his hand as well. "...Alright."

Jake grinned as they shook hands. "You just wait here then, and I'll go get your Tyranitarite."

Alain swiftly withdrew his hand, nodding. He turned his gaze towards the Scizor as Jake left, and Mairin tugged on his sleeve, hissing at the older trainer. " _Alain."_

"Not now," He muttered out of the corner of his mouth, and she gritted her teeth in frustration. She eyed where the woman had been before– but both she and the Meowstic were gone. Mairin's eyes swept the cavern as much as she could without changing position, her worry and frustration growing with Alain not listening to her.

It wasn't like they were going to call the police though– they were the ones running this place after all. Mairin tried to let this fact calm her down, but she still couldn't relax. She only wanted to bolt when Jake returned, a gray-green stone in his hand with a twisting black and red core. Alain pulled out the Mawilite once more, and the two males hesitantly eyed each other as they held the mega stones, clearly not trusting the other. After a moment Alain slipped his arm away from Mairin, and held both out towards Jake– one hand holding out his stone, the other open to take one.

Jake did the same, and within a few tense moments the stones traded hands. Alain immediately held up the Tyranitarite up to his key stone. He let out a soft sigh when it gave off a small glow, confirming that it was a real mega stone. He stuffed it deep into his pocket, turning on his heel to face the exit– clearly ready to get out of here. Mairin had no protest to this, allowing Alain to grab her arm once more as they started for the exit.

Mairin's heart skipped a beat when she found the woman with the Meowstic blocking their way, her Pokemon's eyes glowing with psychic energy.

"Y-you can leave," She said, voice slightly shaking, but her gaze was firm. "But you are not taking the child with you, Vide!"

Some part of Mairin did admire this woman– standing up to someone who she saw as a murderer to help her– but that didn't mean that Mairin was happy with this turn of events. Alain stiffened up as he realized they had been recognized, one hand going drifting to his Pokeballs. Mairin flashed the woman a pleading look, just wishing this wouldn't escalate, but she seemed to take Mairin's look as one of wanting help. She stepped forward, Meowstic preparing an attack.

"That's not your choice to make," Alain said, pulling out a Pokeball. "So why don't you just get out of our way?"

"Vide, eh?" Jake's voice asked from behind them. "I thought I recognized you. There's a hefty reward for information leading to your capture, isn't there? I wouldn't mind if I did take that– and Margaret can collect the reward for finding the girl."

"Jake, this man is–" The woman, supposedly Margaret, began– but Jake cut her off.

"Scizor– Metal Claw!" He called, and Alain expanded the Pokeball in his hand, releasing his Pokemon as the Scizor came rushing at them. A bright burst of light filled the room, Alain's Tyranitar appearing from his Pokeball with a roar. Despite being weak to the attack, the titan of a Pokemon took the Metal Claw with only a grunt, swinging his tail around to launch the bug type back.

Jake took a step back, clearly startled to see a towering Tyranitar.

"His team is dangerous!" Margaret cried.

Jake gritted his teeth. "Y-yeah– noted," The man reached towards his neck, tugging a cord out from under his shirt. Mairin recognized the gleaming stone at the end of the necklace as a key stone, and she pulled closer to Alain as the man clasped his hand around the gem. A light surrounded him, and a band around the Scizor's wrist began to glow. "Scizor– mega evolve!"

The light around Scizor intensified, the glow flaring up as the energy of mega evolution surrounded the Pokemon. Tyranitar lowered himself into an attacking position, ready to throw himself into the battle against the mega Pokemon. Being a dark type he showed no concern for Margaret's Meowstic, simply forming a Dark Pulse in his mouth as the mega Scizor took shape.

"Hey, Tyranitar!" Alain called, and his Pokemon turned to look down at his trainer. "Catch!"

Alain tossed the Tyranitarite towards the rock type, who caught the stone in a clawed hand. For a moment the Pokemon stared down at the mega stone in sheer surprise, but flashed a grin as Alain brought two fingers up to his key stone. Mairin gulped slightly, knowing that a Pokemon mega evolving for the first time could be pretty dangerous. And considering how strong Alain's Pokemon were... she didn't want to take an attack from any of them– mega or not.

A glow surrounded Alain's key stone, the light surging out towards Tyranitar. The rock type had an excited gleam in his eyes as the light engulfed him– clearly happy to be extending the full power of his and Alain's bond. Tyranitar began to change as the mega evolution energy hit him, the spikes on his back branching out as they expanded. The Pokemon grew in height, a large horn sprouting up from his crest, red markings appearing across his chest.

The light faded, and the mega Tyranitar took a step forward, swinging a huge club-like tail as he glowered down on the Scizor. The excitement from before was gone, an unfocused look in Tyranitar's gaze as he let out a mighty roar. A surge of blue energy flared around him, and a sandstorm began to be whipped up as his Sand Stream ability was activated. The weather seemed much harsher than last time as the sandstorm filled the entire room– and she wasn't sure if it was from the close quarters or the fact that Tyranitar was now mega.

Mairin couldn't see as the sandstorm took over the cave, the grains gritting against her skin like sandpaper as it whipped around them. She saw a brief glow as Tyranitar fired off a Dark Pulse, and suddenly Alain's fingers wrapped around her wrist, and she allowed Alain to lead her through the sandstorm, hoping that he had some plan in mind.

He shoved her behind a wall of crates– where the sandstorm wasn't quite as harsh, and he was breathing heavily. "Stay here!" Alain instructed, having to shout over the storm to be heard. "I'll be back!"

Then he was gone– rushing towards the thrashing Tyranitar as the battle commenced. Mairin blinked, before simply squeezing her eyes shut with the sandstorm the Sand Stream was bringing in. There was sand in her hair and eyes– the gritty grains gathering in her mouth as she tried to breath. She allowed herself to sink down to the ground, leaning against the crates as she brought her knees up. She leaned her head against them, covering up her head the best she could with her arms– and breathing became somewhat easier.

Usually a sandstorm was kept to a battlefield during a fight– but all official rules had been thrown out with the situation they were in. As horrible as the roaring sand felt against her skin, it did provide a layer of protection for them, hiding them from sight as the battle continued. Unfortunately the sandstorm would be of little hindrance to the mega Scizor, but hopefully it would provide them a way to get out of here.

Mairin could hear the sounds of people shouting and attacks being fired, but she couldn't make out any words. She gritted her teeth as she sat there, hating the fact that she was doing nothing. But what else could she do? Both of her Pokemon were at the disadvantage with that Scizor, and none of them would do well in a Sandstorm. And even if they could, they simply didn't have the raw power to fight mega Pokemon.

So instead she sat there, letting the Sandstorm nip at her skin.

"Meow," A soft voice called, and Mairin stiffened as she felt the sand starting to slow. She dared to open her eyes, wondering if the sandstorm had really ended that quickly– but she found that the whole cavern was still engulfed with the raging storm. However Mairin found herself in a dome of glowing white energy, a Meowstic standing in the center, using a Safeguard to keep the sand back.

Mairin's hands curled, and she looked up at Margaret, who was standing next to her Pokemon. She still had that concerned look in her eyes, and Mairin leapt to her feet, sand falling from her hair and clothes. Mairin pressed back along the crates, glaring at the woman as she tried to get more sand off of her.

"You're the Floraison girl, right?" Margaret asked gently. "The one that's missing?"

"I assume that I'm considered missing," Mairin said in a low tone. "But I'm fine. I don't need help."

"That man is dangerous–"

"He's my friend," Mairin snapped, not about to be landed back in the same situation she had been in with Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. "Look, I get that you want to help– but I'm fine. Just let me and Alain leave, and we can pretend none of this happened. I'm sure you guys want to stay far from the police as well."

She gave a small smile. "This may not be the most honest of work, but I didn't have much else to turn to, but I'm not going to leave a child with a–"

"I'm not a child– and Alain is not a murderer!" Mairin snarled. "And I'd much rather take my chances with him than you!"

And with that Mairin turned and ran out of the shelter of the Safeguard, cringing as she was back into the sandstorm, unable to see more than a few paces in front of her. She paused from a moment, getting a mouthful of sand as she tried to breathe, before pressing on. She had her hands out in front of her, and was moving away from the sounds of battle, wanting to find the edges of where the Sand Stream ability was in affect.

She began coughing as the sandstorm began to thin, trying to get the sand out of her mouth. She and Alain most definitely were going to have a talk about what Pokemon he used when trying to get away– even a Smokescreen from Charizard wouldn't have been as bad as this! She pulled up her shirt so it was partly covering her mouth, which made breathing slightly easier, eyes narrowed as she tried to find a better place to take shelter.

Small whimpers reached Mairin's ears as she pressed on, the sandstorm no longer roaring in her ears as she found herself reaching a far wall– rows of crates standing in front of her. She reached out, bracing herself against one as she opened her eyes a bit more, testing to see if the sandstorm was still going to claw at them. Small plumes of sand rushed by, but the wind seemed to draw them in back towards the heat of the battle, and she let out a shaky sigh.

She was greeted with more whimpers.

Mairin looked up at the crates she was by, and found that she was by the cages she had spotted earlier. Her heart thumped, fingers tracing the bars as she pressed closer to look inside of one. A small cowering form of several Lillipups could be seen huddling in the back of the cage, watching her with wide eyes. The metallic cages were bare– no food, water, or even a blanket in the crates.

Though the sandstorm wasn't as bad out here on the edge, still some deposits of sand had made their way into the cages. Mairin watched a Pokemon peck at the sand hungrily as she looked into a cage of two Natu. She swiftly paced down the rest of the rows of cages, glancing in at the Pokemon that were being kept there. Many of the Pokemon were species that she didn't recognize right off– most not even native to Kalos. The Pokemon here were definitely on the rare side– most in their basic evolutionary stages– but she could see the value in them.

But Mairin was only sick at the state they were being kept in.

She rattled the lock, trying to see if there was some way she could open the cages– but she clearly needed a key. Frustration gnawed at her, why couldn't this just be a regular crate she could just open. Of course the lock was probably so people like her wouldn't do what she was trying to do... but still!

"Don't worry," She whispered to a cage with a defeated looking Zorua. "I'm going to get you guys out of here," She knelt down, sliding her backpack off, pulling out a red sphere. She slipped her backpack back on, before releasing a Pokemon from the Pokeball. Chespie glanced around in confusion as he was released, looking up at Mairin. "Hey bud, I need your help."

"Quill!" Chespie cried, the Quilladin standing at attention, wincing as a blast of the sandstorm came past them.

"We need to open these cages," Mairin said, rattling one with her hands, causing the Vulpix inside to pull back. "Do you think you could use your Vine Whip to try to open the lock?"

She wasn't sure if this would work– but it was worth a shot. Chespie nodded, two vines forming out from his shoulders. Mairin stepped back, trying to shield the Quilladin the best she could from the sandstorm as another rush of sand came towards them.

Chespie flinched as a roar from Tyranitar filled the cavern, but he reached up and slipped his sleek vine into the lock of the cage of the Vulpix. He bit his tongue as he wiggled it about, trying to get some feel for the lock mechanism. Mairin's heart thumped, but she was starting to realize that these cages were probably designed so a Pokemon couldn't just open them with ease. Chespie glanced back at her uncertainly, but then continued to try to unlock the crate.

"Flame Burst."

The voice was quiet, with a rougher edge to it, and Mairin turned in time to see a ball of sizzling fire rushing through the air. The sparking mass of flames collided with Chespie, knocking the grass type back and away from the crates. The fire burst upon contact– sending out cinders and embers in every direction. Mairin let out a cry, leaping away from the crackling fire.

The older man from earlier let out a snort, his Simisear at his side as he regarded Mairin and Chespie. Despite taking a super effective attack, the Quilladin leapt to his feet, standing in front of Mairin. He spread out his arms, growling at their attackers, a charred mark on his chest from the Flame Burst.

"I don't like it when people mess with my merchandise," The man said, taking a step forward. His Simisear advanced as well, the ghostly energy of a Shadow Claw surrounded its hands. Mairin's eyes fell to the Simisear, where she noticed a gleaming key hanging around his neck, barely visible under its fuzzy ruff of white fur.

"Rollout!" Mairin cried, and Chespie ran forward, tucking in his arms and legs as he prepared his attack. He rolled forward, speeding towards the Simisear, gaining speed as he rushed forward. He slammed into the fire type, veering away as he banked around to come again.

"Stop it," The man said, and the Simisear leapt forward, slashing down with the Shadow Claw. But with the speed Chespie was going the attack was deflected, and he was able to land a second hit. The fire type hissed, but was far from down. The monkey sprang out of the way of another Rollout, surprisingly agile despite the shaggy fur on his body.

"Keep it up!" Mairin called to Chespie, knowing that the longer his Rollout lasted the stronger it would it. It was the only move she had that could truly do damage to the fire type– Vine Whip and Pin Missile were both resisted attacks, and she didn't have time to wait around for a Toxic to take the Pokemon out.

"Your little friend is too busy to come and help you," The older man commented, smirking as he leaned against the cages, causing the Pokemon in them to scurry back. "The others were foolish to engage him– his team has won the league before, if I remember correctly. Even if the Tyranitar falls he'll just have more Pokemon."

Mairin eyed the man uncertainly, and Chespie crashed into the Simisear with yet another Rollout.

"I am perfectly able to handle a battle," Mairin snapped.

The older man shrugged. "Perhaps– but if your answer to a fire type is a grass type then perhaps that's not so. And while my colleagues foolishly battle your friend, I can take you and get a nice reward for helping 'recuse' the poor kidnapped girl," He grinned. "Though it's quite clear you're with him willingly."

"I– I'll tell the police about this place," Mairin threatened, even though she really had no idea where in Kalos they were. "I'm sure you'll lose a lot more money than an reward would give you if this place was to shut down!"

"Or maybe they won't be quick to listen to the confused little girl who thinks her captor is her friend," He snapped his fingers. "Flare Blitz."

Chespie had been coming around with his fifth Rollout– racing forward at full power for a hit that was most certainly going to hurt. But as he sped towards the Simisear it burst into flames, the intense fire coating its entire form just as Chespie slammed into it. Mairin's eyes widened as her starter let out a pained cry, the fire burning him as the Simisear seized him. Mairin stepped forward, trying to think of some command to give him, and the fire type slammed its whole body against the grass type, launching it away.

"D-din," Chespie grunted in pain as he hit the earth. He opened his eyes, huffing, and Mairin let out a sigh of relief as he pushed himself back to his feet. The tips of his quills began to glow, the Pokemon releasing a Pin Missile out at the Simisear.

The fire monkey simply fired a Flame Burst, incinerating the attack before it could reach him. The Simisear grinned at them, before willing another Flare Blitz to surround his form, charging forward. Chespie stumbled to the side in an attempt to avoid the intense heat of the Flare Blitz, but the Simisear simply wheeled around, slamming into the Quilladin from behind.

Again Chespie was launched back, fur charred black as he collapsed to the ground. Several glowing cinders were visible on his form, body shaking as he tried to stand again. Smoke curled up from the defeated Pokemon, struggling to find the strength to get to his feet. The Simisear pulled out of his attack, claws forming a Shadow Claw around them.

"R-return!" Mairin cried, whipping out Chespie's Pokeball as the Simisear leapt to attack. A burst of red light hit the Quilladin as Simisear bore down on him, the Pokemon being turned into energy and drawn back into the Pokeball before the attack could hit him. The Shadow Claw swiped at the ground, and Mairin let out a sigh of relief as her Pokemon was safely tucked away in the sphere.

"Anything else?" The man asked, and Mairin took a step back. She could send out Bébé– but both of her attacks would barely do anything to a fire type. And with her being the weaker of her two Pokemon, Mairin wasn't about to send her into a battle that Chespie hadn't been able to win.

Mairin shot one glance at the caged Pokemon, guilt clawing at her that she hadn't been able to free them. She swallowed hard– before turning on a heel and racing back towards the sandstorm as fast as she could, Chespie's Pokeball clutched near her heart. She heard the older man snort as she ran.

"Shadow Claw," He said, and she heard the Simisear let out a screech as it sprang after her. Panic rushed through Mairin, fear hammering as she realized a Pokemon had been ordered to attack her. Still she didn't dare to send out her Flabébé, simply trying to ran faster– but she could hear it ganging on her–!

" _GAR!"_

The roar filled the cavern, the bitter snarl causing Mairin to stumble and trip. She hit the ground with a harsh thump, and she rolled over onto her back to see if the Simisear was still coming at her. Mairin's eyes widened though when she saw a huge figure that was only steps away– a towering blue shape letting out another ferocious roar.

Its arms were like blades, tips red like blood as it slashed forward with a Dual Chop, claws glowing green. The dragon Pokemon's attack arched down onto the Simisear, the second blow swinging around to send the fire type flying back. Mairin's heart was hammering, staring up at the Garchomp that had just saved her.

"Earth Power," A familiar voice snapped, and the mega Garchomp slammed her foot against the ground. A rush of white energy burst across the floor, the earth bulging as it reached the Simisear– before exploding. She turned away as the attack hit, before daring to peer out at the Pokemon. The force of the Earth Power had knocked the Simisear out– and the blast had knocked it's trainer to the ground.

The Garchomp looked back at Mairin, letting out a happy cry. "Chompa!"

Mairin could only stare, amber eyes wide. Her gaze was pulled away from the dragon as she saw a figure approaching, and Garchomp gave a nod to her trainer. The man crossed his arms as he glared at the one who attacked Mairin, pale blue eyes gleaming with rage. He regarded the man for a moment, jaw tight.

"Garchomp," The man snapped. "Knock him out as well."

The mega Garchomp leapt forward, claws glowing with a Dual Chop. The older man tried to scramble back, but the dragon swung her bladed claws around before he could get away. Even though he had attacked her, Mairin still couldn't help but flinch as the man was knocked out with the flat side of Garchomp's claws. Heart still hammering in her chest, she looked up at her recuser.

Professor Sycamore gave her a kind smile, holding out a hand to help her stand.


	17. Chapter 17 - Allies

**Yep. This story is still alive.**

 **I have no idea when the next chapter will be, updates are just going to be random at this point.**

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen – Allies**

Good news– they were winning this battle.

Bad news? Tyranitar was completely out of control.

Alain muttered a curse under his breath as a he darted out of a way of a Dark Pulse, wishing that Tyranitar would just keep attacking the Scizor. But he knew that when the energy of mega evolution consumed a Pokemon it could overwhelm them– and he should have been prepared for this instead of just handing over the mega stone to Tyranitar.

He had scars from the first time Charizard mega evolved– he should have been more careful!

Tyranitar had handled the Haunter with ease though, knocking it out with a single Dark Pulse. And while the woman and her Meowstic had seemed to come and go, in the end Tyranitar had been able to land attack on them as well. Now their only current attacker was Jake and his Scizor, and it was clear that he was no beginner when it came to battle. And while Alain was sure Tyranitar did have the edge in power, Scizor's type advantage gave him an edge which made the match seem even so far.

Alain could barely see through the whirling sandstorm, but he did hear the echoes of a Stone Edge hitting the Scizor as the battle continued. He had his shirt pulled up over his mouth to help him breathe, eyes narrowed as he tried to navigate the cavern. He wished that he could give orders to his Pokemon, but Tyranitar wouldn't be hearing a word from him while he was consumed in the energy. He was sure he could win this fight if the rock type still had control over himself, but for now Alain would just have to hope that he would be able to land a defeating blow.

An X-Scissor was slashed down on Tyranitar's chest, and the rock type's fangs crunched into the Scizor, electricity dancing across his mouth as he bit down with a Thunder Fang. Tyranitar thrashed his prize in his jaws, before whipping around and sending the Pokemon flying away. The Pokemon huffed, looking exhausted, though his eyes still gleamed with an emotionless desire to attack.

Alain gritted his teeth– he needed to get Mairin farther away in case Tyranitar decided to change targets. But with the sandstorm still raging he had no idea what direction he had left her in. He touched his key stone, which was burning, wondering when the Sand Stream ability would die down– it wasn't something that lasted the whole battle!

As if in a reply to his thoughts, the whirling sand seemed to slow, the power behind the storm seemingly weakening.

He could see a faint glow coming from the Scizor through the fading sand, the mega Pokemon bracing itself as as Tyranitar launched a Stone Edge. The pillar of rock burst out of the ground, slamming against the Scizor with a raw force. Alain flinched, knowing just what attack the bug type had been preparing. The Pokemon opened its eyes, an orange glow surrounding it as it released the Counter right back at Tyranitar, the burst of fighting energy striking the titan. Tyranitar staggered back, letting out a pained roar as he was hit. He let out several huffs, dark energy churning in his mouth as he prepared a Dark Pulse.

He released the blast right towards Alain.

Alain leapt back, the burst of energy hitting right where he had been. Even though he had avoided the attack, the remaining energy surged out– and with his ankle already weakened he found himself collapsing to the ground. Alain swore, gritting his teeth through the pain as he looked up. Scizor was attacking Tyranitar with a Metal Claw– but still the dark type's eyes were locked on him.

Alain rolled away, leaping up to his feet and forcing himself to get away as another Dark Pulse was released towards him. He barely noticed how weak the sandstorm was getting– just trying to ignore the pain in his ankle as he half-limped away. He gave a swift glance around the cavern, able to make out the shapes of the ramps and crates, but still he wasn't sure where Mairin was.

"Zor!" Scizor snarled, draping his pincers in the green energy of an X-Scissor, charging at Tyranitar. He was wasting no moment with the Pokemon's focus being elsewhere, throwing himself into the attack.

Alain flinched as the attack slashed across Tyranitar's exposed back– causing the titan to let out a roar of pain.

Scizor leapt back, releasing an Air Slash at the rock type. The move itself didn't do much, but it did cause Tyranitar to cringe, giving the bug type a few more seconds to prepare a Metal Claw. The silver sheen flared to life around a pincer, Tyranitar too consumed in his rage to notice the attack as the bug type raced forward.

"Hyper Beam," A calm voice ordered somewhere off to Alain's right.

The Scizor was perhaps a foot away from Tyranitar when the attack hit him– the pulsing mass of raw energy engulfing the Pokemon with a flare of bright light. Even with a resistance to the attack, the powerful Hyper Beam still sent the bug type flying across the cavern. Alain was panting, staring at the very confused bug type as it stumbled to his feet, huffing.

A dark blue shape was diving forward through the fading remains of the sandstorm, a pair of giant jaws snapping open, lit in the dark energy of the Crunch. The Pokemon tore past Tyranitar, sinking her fangs into the Scizor moments after he stood. The dragon type whipped her whole body about, violently thrashing her prize.

Alain simply stared as the Garchomp dropped the Scizor to the ground, claws flaring up with the green energy of a Dual Chop as she towered above him. The mega Garchomp didn't hesitate, brutally arching her claws down onto the Pokemon– only pausing as Tyranitar let out a low snarl.

His eyes were still unfocused, a Dark Pulse forming in his maw. Garchomp glanced at the Scizor, before jumping back as the mass of energy was released towards her. The Dark Pulse slammed into the weakened Scizor, the Pokemon sliding back as he was hit. He held his breath, hoping that the bug type was finally defeated.

A light surrounded Scizor– his mega evolution fading away.

"Garchomp, use Earth Power," The voice called, and the dragon slammed her foot against the ground. Shivers raced up Alain's back– he knew that voice.

The Earth Power exploded below Tyranitar, sending him stumbling back several steps. The attack wasn't as brutal as her ones against the Scizor had been, as if she were simply trying to keep the Pokemon distracted. Alain hesitated, before whipping around towards the speaker. The sandstorm had now completely dispersed, leaving scattered sand spread out across the cave, rippling in the fading wind. Making his way towards Alain was a very familiar figure, one who looked a bit out of place without his lab coat.

"P-professor–?" Alain stuttered out in surprise, taking a step back.

His former mentor eyed him, "Would you please recall Tyranitar before he hurts someone?"

"Wh-what are you doing here–?"

"Alain. Recall Tyranitar," Professor Sycamore said firmly, in a tone that Alain never failed to listen to.

Alain was still stunned, and didn't move until an explosive Dark Pulse was released towards Garchomp. He flinched, before fumbling for the Pokeball buried in his pocket. He held the red sphere out towards the snarling rock type. A burst of red light snaked out of the Pokeball, pulling Tyranitar away into the sphere. Alain held it close for a moment, feeling as the burning in his key stone faded.

His eyes snapped open. "Mairin," He whispered, before spinning around. "Mairin–!"

"Is safe," Professor Sycamore said, walking a few steps towards Alain, who tensed. "She's over by the crates in the back and–"

Fueled by both his desire protect Mairin, and his wariness for the professor's sudden appearance– Alain spun around on a heel and headed straight towards the back of the cavern, leaving the professor in the middle of the path. He didn't see the look of hurt in the older man's eyes, who looked away as the energy of mega evolution faded around Garchomp.

"Mairin!" Alain cried as he spotted the red haired girl, and he wished he could move faster. His ankle throbbed with each step he took, slowing him down ever so slightly. She was standing over the unconscious body of a Simisear, trying to get something off of its neck. Mairin looked worn, sand stuck in her hair and clothes– but she was safe.

She pulled a chain with a key on the end off of the Simisear, a look of relief on her face, and she glanced towards Alain. "I have the key!" Mairin said, a small smile crossing her lips. "We can free the Pokemon here!"

Then without another word she turned the crates, shoving the key into the lock, the door swinging open. Several Lillipups leapt out of the cages, shivering– before bolting for the large exit of the cavern. Mairin moved onto the next one, not pausing as she opened each cage, not even as Alain pulled up next to her. He eyed each Pokemon that came out, some limping, others quivering– but all were running.

His heart twisted, seeing their thin and dirty forms. How long had these Pokemon been kept like this?

"It wouldn't be wise to linger here," Professor Sycamore said, right behind them. Alain flinched, having nearly forgotten that he was there, while Mairin didn't even seemed fazed. "These people have quite the investment here– for them to have backup of some kind wouldn't be surprising."

"I just need to get the rest of these Pokemon," Mairin said, reaching into a cage to pull out a shaking Vulpix. She set the fox on the ground, who looked fearfully up at the humans, before bolting. "Only a few more..."

She had quite more than a few– but no one said a word. None of them wanted to leave these Pokemon here, and so Mairin simply went onto the next cage. Alain was staring at Professor Sycamore warily, shifting towards Mairin as the professor stroked Garchomp softly.

"...How did you find us...?" Alain asked quietly– because it was no coincidence that they had run into each other here.

"I'm here to help you two," Professor Sycamore said, holding his hands out. "You know that you can trust me, Alain."

"How did you find us?" Alain repeated, voice becoming harder. Hurt flashed across the professor's eyes, and Garchomp looked at Alain in confusion.

"It took quite a bit of work," Professor Sycamore said softly. "It was thanks to Garchomp that we did, but I got the idea from the message you sent me," He looked away. "The one you send on your field device... I thought that meant you still trusted me, but I suppose that's not the case."

It took Alain a moment to remember what he was talking about– but then he recalled what the message. It had been a quick message he had sent right before he had gone into hiding, using an old field device he had found when packing to go on the run. His heart thumped– he had thought that the professor wouldn't have ever read it, that messaging system they hadn't used in years after all– but he seemed he had been wrong.

He had only sent it because it felt wrong to not say anything to the professor, but he honestly hadn't intended it to be read.

"How did you find us?" Alain asked for the third time, a slight quiver in his voice.

"Mairin's Pokedex," Professor Sycamore finally said. "We used the old tracking system– for now me and Sophie are the only ones that know about it, but who knows how long it'll be before the same idea crosses the International Police's mind," He took a step forward. "We need to destroy the Pokedex, get out of here, and then I have a way to get you out of the region."

"You have a–?" Alain began, blinking in surprise, but a gasp from Mairin cut him off. Both males looked towards the teen, who was kneeling by one of the lower cages. "Mairin?"

"Guys..." She whispered. "Come look at her..."

She pulled back, allowing them to approach the crate. Alain grunted as he knelt down, before peering into the cage with the professor. A pair pained green eyes looked back at them, a quivering brown shape huddling in the cage. Like the rest of the Pokemon, these Eevee looked thin and weak, and he wasn't sure why Mairin had singled it out compared to the others.

Then he noticed her paw.

Or rather, the lack of one.

The Eevee's front leg was tucked up against her shaking body, which ended in a bloody stump. Alain's stomach shifted at the sight– not that she was missing a paw– but at the horrid condition it was in. Untreated and scabbed, and judging by the deformed skin, most likely infected. The Eevee whimpered, scooting to the back of the cage.

Alain felt sick. "That's... that's disgusting."

"Probably how they caught it," Sycamore muttered. "Some sort of trap took its leg, so it couldn't get away..."

"Why would they do that?" Alain hissed. "I know they're horrible– but you'd think that they'd want their 'merchandise' to be in good shape."

Professor Sycamore pulled away, the poor Eevee clearly shaken by their lingering. "...Perhaps they planned to use it as breeding stock, and sell the Eevee kits... with the injured leg she wouldn't be able to get away, and well..."

Alain turned away, and Mairin knelt back in front of the open cage, reaching in.

"Careful–" Alain cautioned, afraid of the Pokemon lashing out in fear, but Mairin's hands had already wrapped around the little Eevee. She pulled the normal type out, pressing it against her chest.

"We got to do something," Mairin whispered. "We can't leave her like this."

"...Alain, open the rest of the cages," Professor Sycamore said in the same tone he often used with him around the lab. "I have some medical supplies with me, so let's at least wrap up that leg until we can get her proper help."

Alain's hands were shaking as he took the key– every part of him screaming for him to get out of there, that they were in danger here.

But instead he slipped the key into the lock, working on the last few cages that held Pokemon. He glanced over shoulder, watching as Mairin cradled the Eevee in her arms. The Pokemon hadn't made a noise, simply sitting there as the professor dug through is bag. The frightened side of him, the part of him that had been driving him forward these last few weeks, told him that the professor couldn't be trusted.

Alain felt utterly ashamed that a part of him even felt this way.

The professor had always trusted him, had never once done anything to harm him. This man had helped shape Alain into the person he was today– and clearly was here to help them now. He had fought off the Scizor, was trying to help this Eevee now. He had been searching for him, responding to one simple message. If he wanted him handed over to the police he could have brought them here.

Alain had made the mistake of shutting the professor out once– he couldn't do that again.

"Professor?" Alain said softly as he opened a cage with a Salandit in it, and the older man glanced at him. "...Thank you."

A smile crossed the man's face, and a warm feeling settled in Alain's heart at the sight. Sycamore turned back to tending to the Eevee's leg, and Alain limped over to the last few cages.

* * *

"Zar!" Charizard cried happily as they flew away from the cavern, her wings flaring to catch an updraft.

"You can see the professor once we land," Alain said as she drifted towards the Pidgeot that was carrying Professor Sycamore. "Just keep flying, girl."

"...Do you think that Eevee is going to be okay?" Mairin asked quietly, sitting in front of him as they flew. Alain's arm tightly around her, knowing that Mairin wasn't too fond of heights– but for once she wasn't tightly holding on to Charizard.

He glanced over at Professor Sycamore, who had the Eevee resting in the crook of his arm.

"...The professor will help her, don't worry," Alain said, but Mairin didn't seem reassured.

"...There are probably more Pokemon out there," Mairin whispered. "Taken from their homes, locked up... We saved these ones, but there are more out there. And what if no one ever finds them? They'll be living like that forever."

"...The world is a horrible place," Alain said slowly after a moment.

"It's scary," Mairin whispered. "To not know what's going to happen to you, wondering why that is happening," Her voice broke slightly. "I... I know that you w-were only trying to protect me, but you don't know how frightened I was... and those poor Pokemon, because the ones that do have them don't care about them and– and..."

She trailed off, and Alain's stomach twisted guiltily.

"...I'm sorry," He whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

"You were just trying to protect me," Mairin said, staring straight ahead.

"But I never tried to explain," Alain whispered. "Not fully, at least... you were scared, and I let you be scared. I knew you were safe with me... but you didn't know that. How was it any better of me to let you live in that fear?"

"...Alain, can we please put what happened behind us?" Mairin asked softly.

"But it still happened," Alain began, and she shook her head.

"It happened, and what happened was far from ideal," Mairin said. "I'm not going to try to sugarcoat it... you could have approached this in a better way. I don't think we can call it 'right'– but with what was– what _is_ – happening to us, it wouldn't be fair to have excepted things to be better. Everything is... okay now. Not perfect, but we're okay... and I think that's what we should focus on."

"...Heh, I wish I could see things that way," Alain said softly. "I don't think I'm going to forgive myself for what I put you through... but I'm glad you're safe."

"And I'm glad the police don't have you," Mairin replied.

"...Me too."

Considering everything they had just gone through, the last thing he expected Mairin to do was laugh. So he couldn't help but pull back slightly when he heard a burst of laughter coming from her, carrying through the air as they flew. It was short, Mairin falling silent afterwards, but still it was a laugh.

And Alain couldn't help but smile.

* * *

Charizard smothered Professor Sycamore soon after they landed, the fire type pressing her head into his hands, letting out a happy rumble. The professor rubbed her long neck, softly speaking to her as he stroked the Pokemon. Garchomp, on the other hand, rushed up to Mairin and Alain, pressing up against the young trainers in excitement. Mairin stroked her on the snout, a happy glint in her eyes, while Alain lingered back.

It was so strange to be looking at someone new and not to be seeing them as a danger, for him not trying to get as far away from them as possible. A part of his mind was still on edge as he watched them, form tense as he took in the situation around them. They had landed in a small glade after what had probably been a half-hour flight, wanting to put as much distance between them and where the battle had been. He wasn't quite sure where they were, having just followed the professor south on his Pidgeot.

"Are either of you two hurt?" Professor Sycamore asked as he finally managed to pull away from Charizard, holding the three-pawed Eevee close to his chest. The little Pokemon had yet to move, simply stiff in his arms. The small bandage on her leg slowly becoming stained red. "Have you been getting enough to eat? To drink?"

"Alain twisted his ankle," Mairin said before Alain could even open his mouth, and he shot a glare at the younger girl.

"It's fine now," Alain said swiftly, even though it was aching now. However as the professor's pale blue eyes focused on him he knew that his words weren't believed. "I spent several days resting it, honestly sir, it's just fine now."

"Then how come you still flinch every couple of steps–"

"Mairin, do me a favor– shut up," Alain said, though Mairin merely flashed a smirk at him.

However it soon faded as her attention returned to the Eevee, amber eyes filling with worry. Professor Sycamore carefully set the wounded Pokemon into her hands. The Eevee was trembling as she was handed off, green eyes lined with fear. Mairin pressed her up to her chest, running her hands down its back in an attempt to calm it.

"Let's see the ankle," Professor Sycamore said, and Alain took a step back.

"No, it's fine," Alain said, but Sycamore merely had to narrow his eyes at him. Alain hesiated, and Charizard flashed a glare at him from over the shoulder of Professor Sycamore. He let out a long sigh, before at last sinking to the ground, reluctantly allowing him to kneel down at look at stupid ankle. He did his best not to flinch as Sycamore touched it, but he couldn't help but tense up as he gently touched the swollen red skin.

"...You've been walking on this?" Professor Sycamore asked.

"Choices really aren't something I've had access to recently," Alain muttered, cringing as Sycamore suddenly began to wrap up the ankle. He was being gentle, but the sudden pressure was nothing but painful. He took in a sharp breath, going still until the ankle was fully bound.

"This is just temporary," Sycamore said as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbing Alain's wrist to help him to his feet. "And if it were possible I'd tell you to stay off of it for several days, but I don't think we can do that right now," He closed his eyes, looking slightly hesitant. "First of all, I want a full explanation for what's going on– and why you and Mairin have been dragged into this."

"Team Rocket wants me locked up and they're willing to kill Mairin in order to do that?" Alain said weakly, honestly not sure of what else to say. It wasn't a simple topic– but there was really no point in dancing around it either. Mairin flinched at the mention of Team Rocket, hugging the Eevee closer.

"...Team Rocket?" Sycamore said slowly, clearly putting in an effort to keep his voice even. "Aren't they a Johtonese organization?"

"Kantonian, but yeah, not from here," Alain said, shuffling. "So, um– Malva. She's a good place to start– remember Malva? So... basically she joined Team Rocket, and found information on people they're targeting... people who've stood in their way before, and organizations like it. And because of what happened with Team Flare... I was on that list."

The professor took this in silence. "...Dexio. When he was doing research in Kanto he discovered one of their bases and helped shut it down," The professor looked up at him, pained. "It was them that killed him, wasn't it?"

"...Yes," Alain said, and while he had only met Dexio a few times, there was still a heaviness in his heart when he thought of the man's death. Especially since Professor Sycamore had been close to him as well. "They killed him, and then framed his death on me. They... they were going to do the same with Mairin, but Malva warned me before, and I was able to get her away..."

He glanced at Mairin, not wanting to bring back any unpleasant memories, but it seemed that she had tuned them out after knowing what Alain was going to talk about. She was seated aways from them, Eevee in her lap, talking to it softly. Charizard, Garchomp, and Pidgeot had all gathered around her, looking very intent on whatever she was saying.

"Did she know about Dexio?" Professor Sycamore asked quietly.

"...Malva did tell me someone else was going to be targeted to frame me, but she didn't tell me who. She also made it clear that she had no intentions of helping anyone else being targeted either. The only other person I know that's caught up in this mess is Ash, but I have no idea what's happened to him..." He looked at Professor Sycamore in hopes of an answer.

"On the run, like you," Professor Sycamore said. "His story hasn't been shown that much in Kalos, but I've been keeping tabs on him, but mostly you."

His voice was slightly stiffer, and clearly not taking what Alain had said about Malva well. Still, Alain relaxed slightly as the professor spoke, grateful that Ash was safe for the moment. Not killed or locked up– someone else had a chance.

"Professor, we were attacked by Team Rocket," Alain said quietly, capturing Sycamore's attention once more. "It wasn't that long ago, they had managed to get Mairin and they... and they..." He had to swallow as the memories rose in his mind. "They had a gun to her head, they were going to... oh, Arceus, they were going to..."

He felt a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down, but the look in the Professor's eyes looked just as startled. "Tell me everything that's happened, okay?"

Alain didn't want to think about it, but still he talked. He barely paid any attention to what he was saying, simply telling the professor everything that had taken place. It was both a struggle, but yet relieving. It felt like a weight was being taken off of his chest, but still he was ashamed of some of the things he had done. The professor listened silently, simply allowing Alain to tell his story.

"...Do you have any plans of where to go from here?" Professor Sycamore asked once he finished.

"Keep moving, I guess," Alain muttered quietly.

"It would probably be safer if you were to get out of the region," Professor Sycamore said. "And I can help you do that."

He paused as the professor said this, but remembered that he had said something similar earlier. He hesitated, the idea sounding too good to be true. In another region they wouldn't have police forces actively looking for him, and they would be less likely to be recognized. And perhaps best of all, he could get somewhere out of reach of Team Rocket's influence.

"How...?" Alain finally asked.

The professor was looking at him, his gaze expressionless. Alain stared back, shifting uncertainly, but he recognized that Sycamore was simply lost in thought. He had worked for the man for over eight years, so there should be no surprise for how familiar he had become with him. He simply cleared his throat, and Sycamore blinked a few times. He smiled apologetically, before clearing his own throat.

"Sorry," He looked over at Mairin for a moment. "We would be smuggling you out, not much else we could do except for having you hike over the border, but most regions have some form of border patrol. You would be going with Steven–"

"Steven?"

"Yes. Steven Stone. He was in Kalos, and he agreed to help you."

"Wait, you got someone else involved in this mess?" Alain asked, taking a step back. "That's– that's not safe! What if they were targeted because they were helping me! Or what if you tried to involve someone that could turn you into the police for trying to help me?!"

"Alain, believe it or not, but I am well aware of what I'm doing," The professor crossed his arms. "It's only me, Sophie, and Steven that are aware of this, and I can promise you that neither of them would turn anyone in. We want to help you," He swallowed. "We really do..."

"...So you can really get me and Mairin out of the region...?" Alain asked.

"We can get you to Hoenn," Sycamore replied. "But Mairin will be staying in Kalos, she doesn't need to be involved with this any longer."

Alain stiffened up. "Professor, Team Rocket is–"

"I wouldn't just be placing her without protection, but she does not need to be–"

"They tried to kill her!"

"Alain–"

"She won't be safe!" Alain snarled, causing Sycamore to fall silent. "If Team Rocket was able to use their influence to get Malva out of jail who knows what else they could do! Who they have connections with! I don't trust the police or any officials to keep her safe! Not because they're after me, but because I don't know who they're truly trying to help! Mairin is staying with me!"

"Alain, how safe is she going to be with you if they're after you as well?"

"I–"

"How about we stop talking like I'm not here?" Mairin snapped, cutting both of them off. The two males glanced towards her, only to find the redhead was glaring at them. "I... I'm fourteen, and perfectly able to make my own decisions. If anyone is going to decide where I'm going, that's going to be me."

"Actually," Professor Sycamore began. "You're fifteen now, your birthday was a few days ago."

Mairin blinked, her frustration melting away instantly, looking slightly surprised. "It... it was?"

"Not surprised that wasn't on your mind considering everything you guys have been through... but yes," The professor shifted, and he let out a sigh. "But... but I suppose you are correct. Neither of us are your legal guardians, it is not our place to be making this choices for you."

"Professor–"

"Alain," Sycamore's eyes shifted towards him. "Whether she chooses to go with you or back to civilization with me is her choice, and both have their risks, but it is not our place to make that choice. I would not just send her back home without protection though, especially if she is being targeted as well."

Alain wanted to fight it, knowing that anywhere with Team Rocket's influence wouldn't be safe for Mairin. His gaze shifted back towards the girl, who wasn't looking at any of them. She was rocking the small Eevee in her arms, looking conflicted. The Eevee had seemed to have decided that Mairin wasn't a threat, and buried her head into her shirt.

"Mairin," Alain began, and her amber eyes flickered up towards him. His gut twisted when he saw the expression on her face, and she probably was expecting him to demand that she choose to come with him. That wasn't surprising, considering how he had been treating her... He took in a deep breath. "I... I have a birthday present for you."

She blinked in surprise. "...What?"

"I got it for you before all... all of this started to happen," Alain said, sliding off his backpack, searching through one of the pockets.

His hands wrapped around a glossy stone as he pulled it out of the bag, uncertainly holding it out towards her. Shifting the Eevee in her arms, Mairin reached out to take her. Her eyes widened when she saw the small rainbow stone placed in her palm, looking up at Alain. He touched the key stone on his wrist, before looking away.

"Sorry it's not wrapped up or anything. As you know I've had my hands full," He gave her a weak smile, knowing that the joke was just going to hang there.

"A key stone," Mairin said softly, sounding like she didn't know quite what to say. "It's a... key stone."

Had they been in any other situation, Alain knew that Mairin would have been ecstatic. That was what he had been expecting when he had first found the key stone with the Mawilite, and had immediately planned on giving it to her, even if it had been some time since they had spoken. That had been of course before everything had happened, and when he had been packing to leave it was just something he hadn't planned on leaving behind. He hadn't been planning on giving it to her either due to literally preparing to go on the run, but here they were now.

"...Thank you," Mairin said softly, fingers wrapping around it, and Alain didn't expect any other reaction. These last few weeks had been such a struggle, and he knew that things would never be the same as they once were.

"How about we prepare some food?" Professor Sycamore suggested, breaking the silence. "I think rest is something we all need right now."

* * *

After sleeping in fields and caves and in ditches, a tent felt like a castle.

Professor Sycamore had one tent with him, and Mairin had been reluctant to be the only one in it, logically it'd make more sense for the two of them to use it... but she was glad that she wasn't going to be spending the night outside alone. She sat on her sleeping bag, staring at the small Eevee that had curled up next to her. The poor thing looked far from rested, simply having collapsed out of exhaustion.

Mairin hoped the other Pokemon they had released were okay.

She had finished her dinner a long time ago, her dishes sitting near the tent door. She had asked to be alone and so far her request had been accepted, the two males simply talking outside. Not much was said between them, which surprised Mairin, the two had always seemed so close. But of course Alain just seemed wary of people in general now, and for some reason Professor Sycamore seemed so hesitant around him.

But Mairin had a choice to make– go with Alain to Hoenn, or return home to her family.

It should have been so simple, every part of her wanted to go home. To sleep in a real bed and to shower and to have hot food. To not be moving day after day, and not to be fearing that someone was after her. She didn't want this stress and fear to be hanging over her head, she just wanted to go home and for all of this to be over.

But of course it wasn't that simple. Home wouldn't solve a thing– Team Rocket would still be after her and Alain would be wanted and all this fear would still be here.

And Alain would be alone.

No, he wouldn't. He'd have his Pokemon, and he'd be going with Steven who would definitely help them– him. As far as they knew there would be no Team Rocket influence in Hoenn, and so Alain would be safe in that regard... but she'd still be in Kalos. Where Team Rocket was. She'd be at home with her family but still be in danger. And of course the professor said there would be protection but what if that protection was really someone that was helping Rocket? She remembered the horrible sensation of the gun to her head and the poison rushing through her body– she never wanted to feel that again.

She could go home to her family, but yet her family had never seemed to care. She was just... there to her parents. They never regarded her, only spared a few words for her. They took care of her, but never had they provided comfort. And her sister... she shivered at the thought of her sister. The only family that ever seemed to care about her was her brother, but he was in Sinnoh doing contests.

...But she had been kidnapped. Taken against her will... even if she was willingly here now. But they didn't know that, and they must certainly be worried. They knew that she had been taken by a 'murderer', and considering that her face was apparently plastered all over the news enough for her to be recognized...

Mairin's heart was pounding, could have this spurred something in them? A worry that they had never really shown before? She had never been in a situation anything like this before, and perhaps that was the change she had been waiting so long for... and if that were so she knew that it would be wrong to just flee to Hoenn.

Taking in a deep breath, Mairin pushed herself to her feet, heading out of the tent.

Professor Sycamore was sitting in front of the ruins of her Pokedex, having asked for it so he could destroy it. After having learned she could be tracked that way, she had been more than willing to hand it over. Alain was engrossed in his Holo Caster, eyes flickering across the screen, but he looked her way as she came out of the tent.

"Professor?" Mairin asked quietly.

"Yes?" He asked, pale blue eyes looking up at her.

"While we've been on the run, several people have recognized me. I'm guessing that means that a lot of people know I'm missing?"

"You and your picture have been on the news quite often," He replied. "There's a reward for any information that leads to your, er, rescue... and Alain's capture."

"Who's offering the reward?"

"The Kalos League," The professor replied. "Things like this don't normally happen often, and a child being in the hands of who they assume to be a murderer... people are really worried about you."

Mairin closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. "My parents... have they said anything?"

"The news reports say that they've simply asked to be left alone in this difficult time, and as far as I am able to tell the reporters have respected that," Sycamore replied.

Tears stung Mairin's eyes as she heard this. To most people, they probably wouldn't think twice to this reply, it would make sense that parents would want to be left alone when their child had been taken. But Mairin knew her parents, and she knew that those words weren't true. If it was her sister that was missing, she knew that they wouldn't be asked to be 'left alone'. They would be reaching out to the media, begging the public to help them find their daughter. They would be out there searching themselves, offering a reward.

Mairin was used to being overlooked and her siblings favored, but to hear that they were doing nothing hurt so much. Because she knew if they cared they would be doing something. The only they lingered back was when they were indifferent, something they had always shown towards Mairin– something they were showing now.

She had been taken, and they didn't even care.

"Mairin?" Professor Sycamore asked, sounding startled, and that's when Mairin realized that tears were running down her cheeks.

"I... I w-want to go with Alain," Mairin struggled to speak, but she managed to croak out a few words. "I don't w-want to go home, I w-want... I w-want..."

She didn't trust herself to speak, and instead she bolted back towards the tent. She heard hear someone rising to their feet, but no one said anything to do as she zipped the tent door shut, breathing heavily as she knelt down on the floor. She tried to tell herself that she was just jumping to conclusions, that she was just overreacting... But she knew her family, she knew that her parents had always overlooked her, that they never really loved her.

But she never realized that they never cared.

The tears came fast, the hot tears pouring down her face as she drew her knees up. She didn't bother to wipe them away, just closing her eyes as she cried. In their eyes she had been kidnapped by a murderer, but nothing had changed. They were doing the same thing they had always done, brushing her aside as if she wasn't there. They didn't care she was gone, they didn't care that she had been taken, they probably wouldn't care that a gun had been pressed to her head...

They probably wouldn't even care if she was dead.

It was a horrible realization, and she just simply hunched over and cried. She didn't know what else she could do, and she tried to comfort herself with the fact that she wasn't going back. That she would be going with Alain, which would always been better. Sure he could be cold and demanding... but he cared. He cared about her and everything he had done as of late proved that.

Her hand reached into her pocket, pulling out the key stone he had given her. She turned it over in her hands a few times, hardly believing that she now truly had a key stone. It was something she had been wanting for a long time, though some of that eagerness had been lost due to everything that happened. But still, he had given her something of great value, something he had been wanting to give to her even though they had drifted apart in the last few years.

This gift meant everything to her, and not just because of how valuable it was, but because of what it meant by it being given to her.

Tomorrow she'd be continuing to live this life on the run, but she'd be with someone that truly cared. Someone who was like a brother, and someone she knew would always be there.


End file.
